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Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
“Whenever there's money, there's going to be temptation,” said Governor Albert Bryan Jr., as he discussed the recent indictments of three of his former cabinet officials. “All we could do is be vigilant, and we could educate people.”
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Speaking during his Wednesday interview with the Consortium, Mr. Bryan said education is key to curbing corrupt practices in the territory. “People do things that they don't think is corruption,” he argued. “If you do something like bring a bottle of perfume so your license gets through a little faster, that's corruption,” he said by way of example.
However, the governor emphatically pushed back on suggestions that there was a culture of corruption in the territory. “I think we have a culture of good, hard-working people,” he said. “What I'm really concerned about is people being educated and understanding what they could get in trouble for. What's acceptable and what's not acceptable…there's a lot of instances where you have to educate people. And when you become a commissioner, you really don't get that education,” the governor continued.
That process of education has already begun, he said. In the wake of several high-profile indictments and resignations of senior government officials, the Division of Personnel launched an initiative called “Integrity in Action” last August, a workshop led by DOP's legal counsel Aliya Felix, aimed at “strengthening ethical standards within the government,” according to the department.
According to the governor, malfeasance of public officials has always been dealt with forcefully. “We've arrested people all over the government for different types of corruption, not just the Cabinet members,” Governor Bryan argued. Nevertheless, he admitted that the allegations against his former Commissioner of Police, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation had blindsided him. “The last thing I thought I would have to deal with in my administration was corruption on the cabinet level,” he stated. “I pray for the best outcomes,” he continued, noting that all accused persons are innocent until proven guilty, “but just the mention of it is tragic.”
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Nevertheless, Governor Bryan had strong words for any other government worker who might be engaging in unethical practices. “We're gonna catch you. It's a paper trail,” he said. “If you try it, eventually we'll catch you.”