Port Deputy GM Asks for Paper Shredder; Adelup Denies Resignation
Several Port employees have come forward to Kandit News expressing shock and confusion over why the Port Deputy General Manager was frantically looking to shred documents on Tuesday.
The day Port Deputy General Manager Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara was searching for a paper shredder was the day before her deadline to submit her FOIA response to Kandit News to turn over documents in her possession that we asked for.
"She came in with papers in her hand and said 'do you guys have a shredder,'" the employee said. "We said no because we don't shred things in here. She said 'what about clerical' and we said yeah you can check them."
The employee said they then informed the Deputy General Manager that her email address was not working and her emails were being rejected.
"Connie Jo said she suspended her email so to just bring her hard copies of anything she needs and then she walked over to clerical," they told Kandit News.
"We all looked at each other like 'did she really just say she suspended her emails? Never heard of that adai. That's sketchy boots."
Sketchy Boots indeed. So much so that Kandit News has sent an inquiry to Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara and port management to ask about this situation. Specifically, we asked Connie Jo "
Why were you looking for a paper shredder? What documents did you want to shred? Why do you want to shred them? Was your desire to find a shredder to shred government documents related to the fact that the Port was required to respond to Kandit News the following day regarding our FOIA request for copies of your documents and emails?" We further informed Port Deputy GM Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara about the law. We said in our email today that 5 GCA Chapter 20 governs how you can destroy public documents and Section 20607 states " Records not to be Damaged or Destroyed.
All records made or received by or under the authority of or coming into the custody, control, or possession of public officials of this government in the course of their public duties are property of the government and shall not be destroyed, transferred, removed, or otherwise damaged or disposed of, in whole or in part, except as provided by law." So we asked the Port Deputy "Please provide us with the official determination you received by your agency head under Section 20608 determining that the documents you shredded have no further legal, administrative, fiscal, research, or historical value and granting you permission to shred these documents. Is this the first time you shredded documents at the Port?"
We also inquired with the Deputy General Manager on why she suspended her email account. She has not responded to Kandit News as of news time tonight. Meanwhile, Adelup Director of Communications Janela Carerra tells Kandit News that there is no resignation letter.
This, despite Connie Jo Brennan telling numerous people today that she is withdrawing her resignation letter since it leaked to the media and will no longer resign effective November 13.
Multiple sources have indicated her resignation letter is locked in the office of legal counsel Haigh Huyn who is off island.
