Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — More than $300,000 in government funds was spent on allowances for members of the American Samoa Medical Center (ASMC) Board of Directors over a two-year span, raising questions about legality, fiscal accountability, and governance practices at the territory’s only hospital.

The revelation comes from investigative journalist and podcaster Taupau Tauileave Toluono, host of Talatala le Ta’ui, who obtained records of payments made to the LBJ Hospital Board.

In a recent episode of his current affairs program "My Take, Your View," Taupau confronted Faipule Faimealelei Anthony Allen, a sitting member of the House of Representatives and former LBJ Board member, about the inflated sums.

By law, LBJ Board members are entitled to annual allowances of $5,000, while the chairman receives $6,000. However, Taupau’s investigation found that the Board, appointed under the previous administration, circumvented the statute by holding additional meetings and awarding themselves $1,000 per meeting.

Records obtained by Taupau show that between 2023 and 2024, Board members collectively received $337,837.71, far exceeding the legal threshold:

2023 total: $226,998.84

2024 total: $161,886.18

Grand total: $337,837.71

The total individual disbursements over the two-year period are as follows:

Dr. Malouamaua Puleisili Tuiolosega (Chairman) — $73,649.38

Mualeava Dr. Aifili John Tufa (Chairman) — $52,333.38

Faipule Faimealelei Anthony Allen — $66,546.63

Fonoti Douglas Jessop — $64,576.40

Afamasaga Dr. Talifa Talifa — $63,031.71

Dr. Jean Anderson — $9,450.01

Dr. Patrick Pedro — $8,250.00

During the interview, Taupau pressed Faimealelei on why the Board’s “payouts” had increased so dramatically. Faimealelei objected to the term, insisting that members received allowances, not payouts, and warned that misleading language could damage his reputation among constituents.

Taupau countered that regardless of terminology, the amounts received were far above what the law stipulates. He cited records showing inflated allowances during the chairmanships of both Tuiolosega and Tufa, with Faimealelei’s name appearing on the list. Taupau added that the inflated amounts included reimbursements of off-island travel by some of the Board members. Faimealelei declared that he has never claimed any travel reimbursements.

Faimealelei explained that he was removed from the Board by Governor Lemanu S. Peleti Mauga, then reappointed nearly a year later. Upon returning, he found the practice of awarding $1,000 per additional meeting already in place.

“I told them it was not right because it contradicted the law,” he said. “But I was voted down 5 to 1, so the practice continued.”

According to Faimealelei, the Board’s legal counsel assured members that the payments were lawful. The matter was formally voted on, with only Faimealelei dissenting.

He added that while he opposed the stipends, he acknowledged the Board often held lengthy meetings to review hospital contracts and projects, sometimes lasting from morning until late evening. “We burned the midnight oil to make sure everything was done,” he said, noting that hospital construction projects were progressing smoothly despite earlier disputes.

The issue of Board stipends has surfaced repeatedly in legislative hearings.

Members of the Fono, including Faipule Gene Pan and Senator Togiola Tulafono, have questioned the legality of the payments.

In one Senate Government Operations Committee hearing, LBJ CEO Scott Anesi and legal counsel from the Attorney General's Office Roy Hall, testified that the allowances remained unchanged at $5,000 for members and $6,000 for the chairman, but confirmed that the Board had approved the $1,000 per meeting stipends.

Faimealelei maintained that he consistently opposed the practice, but was overruled. He claimed that months later, other members conceded that his objections had merit. “It’s a democratic process,” he said. “Sometimes it takes time, but eventually they agreed I was right.”

The interview also touched on hospital contracts and personnel decisions. Faimealelei criticized delays in construction projects, at one point threatening to revoke a contractor’s agreement due to poor performance. He later acknowledged improvements after his intervention.

Taupau also questioned the Board’s handling of a Chief Financial Officer appointment, citing conflicting reports about the vote tally. Faimealelei insisted the vote had been unanimous, rejecting Taupau’s claim that it was 3– 1. He further disputed assertions that Afamasaga Dr. Talifa Talifa's vote was invalid due to termination by the governor.

In a hearing of the Senate Government Operations Committee in March this year, in which LBJ Board Chairman Mualeava Dr. Aifili John Tufa testified, he explained that the LBJ legal counsel Thomas Jones had advised that there was no clause in the law explicitly prohibiting the Board from paying its members a $1,000 monthly allowance. He stated this interpretation was the basis for the Board's decision to implement the change.

Committee Chairman Senator Togiola responded by citing the relevant section of the law. "Section 13.0103 (j) clearly states: 'Board members shall be compensated at the rate of five thousand dollars per year, except the chairperson, who shall be paid six thousand dollars per year. Additionally, 'off-island directors shall receive compensation for necessary travel, lodging, meals, and telecommunication expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.'"

As of now, two members of the LBJ Hospital Board have declined requests from Governor Pulaalii Nikolao Pula to voluntarily step down from their positions. The Governor intended to initiate the process of nominating new Board members for confirmation by the Fono.

In April of this year, Faimealelei publicly asserted that the law governing the LBJ Hospital Authority Board clearly stipulates that Board members may only be removed by the Governor “for cause.”

The specific statutory language he cited reads: “The members of the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, and may be removed by the Governor only for cause.”

Faimealelei emphasized that the Governor’s request did not cite any cause or justification for the resignations. Therefore, he maintains that he remains a duly appointed board member and intends to serve until the expiration of his term.

Last month, Afamasaga made headlines for refusing to vacate his seat on the Board, following Governor Pulaalii's appointment of Maaelopa Bob Tuiasosopo to replace him.

In response, Afamasaga strongly contested the move, asserting that his term is valid until November 20, 2026. He has threatened legal action should any attempt be made to remove him from his post before his term expires.

“If this unlawful termination is not immediately withdrawn, I will have no alternative but to take appropriate legal action to safeguard my rights and restore the integrity of the Board,” he wrote in his response to the Governor’s demand that he ‘resign’.

He asserted that this marks the second attempt to remove him from the Board before the lawful expiration of his term.

“This pattern of repeated baseless termination efforts constitutes a disturbing misuse of executive discretion and borders on harassment and retaliatory conduct, in direct violation of both statutory and constitutional protections afforded to appointed officials under American Samoa law,” he wrote.

The revelations about the practice of awarding $1,000 for each additional LBJ Hospital Board meeting have sparked serious concerns about fiscal oversight and the responsible use of public funds. While Board members argue that extended meetings justified additional stipends, critics say the practice breaks the rules and makes people lose trust in the system.

This controversy may also shed light on the forceful resistance by current Board members to Governor Pulaalii’s request for their resignation, suggesting that financial entitlements could be influencing their refusal to step down.

Taupau’s interview with Faipule Faimealelei Anthony Allen, conducted in Samoan, is available on YouTube under Segment 16 of the Talatala le Ta’ui podcast.