Ipulasi's attorney reveals
firm is waiving its legal fees
by Fili Sagapolutele
Samoa New Correspondent
Lanny A. Breuer,
the off-island attorney representing Lt. Gov. Ipulasi Aitofele
Sunia in his federal criminal case, said yesterday that Ipulasi
is no longer being billed for the law firm's legal fees, but
the lieutenant governor will be asked to pay costs associated
with his legal defense.
Early this year,
Samoa News received unconfirmed reports that Breuer of the Washington
D.C. lawfirm of Covington & Burling is representing Ipulasi
in his criminal case free of charge.
Samoa News sent
questions regarding that and other questions about money raised
by supporters of Ipulasi for the Lt. Governor's defense fund
to the attorney in late January and received his reply only yesterday.
Breuer said that
in recent months the local media have inquired about the amounts
of money that Ipulasi has paid and will pay for his legal defense
and Ipulasi has asked him to issue an official reply.
"At great
personal expense and with the help of generous donations from
many of his fellow American Samoans, the lieutenant governor
paid our law firm's standard billing rates from December 2005,
when we began representing him through the summer of 2007,"
said Breuer. "Paying these legal fees put a tremendous strain
on the lieutenant governor's finances."
"Last summer,
I recognized that this strain would soon become unbearable for
him and his family, notwithstanding all the sacrifices they and
their supporters had already made," he continued. "Because
I am committed to defending the lieutenant governor, I agree
that our firm would no longer bill him for our legal fees, though
we would continue to ask that he pay costs associated with his
legal defense."
Breuer said Ipulasi
has continued to pay the fees of other persons who are assisting
in his legal defense.
Out on bail,
Ipulasi's trial along with co-defendant Tulifua Tini Lam Yuen
is set for Jan. 12, 2009 in connection with awarding Department
of Education contracts to their family companies. They face several
federal charges including fraud and bribery. Both defendants
have denied the allegations by the federal government against
them.
U.S. District
Court Reggie B. Walton will preside over the trial.
Breuer said Ipulasi
is pleased that Walton has entered the schedule order proposed
by both sides.
Walton issued
a May 30 schedule order setting deadlines for specific motions
to be filed as well as reaffirming the trial date.
Although Ipulasi
looks forward to the opportunity to show that he is innocent,
he has agreed, out of deference to the schedules of the court
and the attorneys for Tulifua that the trial not begin until
Jan. 12, Breuer said.
The off-island
attorney said that once the trial begins Ipulasi will show that
his company, Samoa Furnishings & Handicrafts provided the
school children of American Samoa "with safe and durable
furniture and that it did so at a fair price."
"While legal
proceedings move forward, the lieutenant governor will continue
to serve the good people of American Samoa," said Breuer.
Gov. Togiola
Tulafono and Ipulasi are scheduled to make an official announcement
of their candidacy for the Nov. 4 general election, during a
gathering set for this Friday at Tradewinds Hotel.
Meanwhile, Walton
issued on April 30 a separate order saying that discovery materials
produced by any party in this case to one or more of the other
parties shall be held in confidence by each person to whom it
is disclosed. Such materials shall be used only for purposes
of preparation for and trial of this matter.
Regarding law
enforcement sensitive information, the order states that the
federal government shall identify and label as 'law enforcement
sensitive' any discovery material which refers or relates to
ongoing, unrelated investigations.
The government
shall also be permitted to redact (or edit) the identities of
witnesses or information relating to unrelated, ongoing investigations
if such information is not relevant to this case, according to
the order.
Reach the
reporter at fili@samoanews.com.
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