Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate this week unanimously approved long time private attorney David Vargas as Public Defender.

This follows a confirmation hearing held on Tuesday.

The office was without a Public Defender for several days in July after  former Public Defender Mike White resigned from office, after taking on increasing case load — both felony and misdemeanor cases —but he was the only lawyer in office.

Last week, Vargas appeared before the lawmakers for the budget hearing on their budget where the Senators and Representatives that “money is the biggest problem that we face not only the Public Defender’s office but also the Attorney General’s office.

 “I came down here in 1995 on a two-year honeymoon and been here ever since then and money was never the driving force for me,” said Vargas.

He said there is a need to have funding to bring people to work in the government.

Vargas told lawmakers that he’s working on a short term contract.

Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga says Counsel Vargas is a well-known attorney who has worked in American Samoa since 1995.

That includes two years that he worked as an Assistant Public Defender. In July, Vargas agreed to temporarily fill the role of the Acting Public Defender until a permanent Public Defender could be found.