WASHINGTON, D.C. — Who approved more than $400,000 in bonuses for Guam Del. James Moylan’s staff? It might not have been Moylan, according to the delegate. Or maybe it was. He wouldn’t say one way or another.

The congressman, who returned to his D.C. office on Wednesday, told My Jungle Rules his chief of staff is responsible for the day-to-day administrative tasks at his office, including preparing documents for payroll and bonuses.

Moylan ultimately is responsible for signing off on the bonuses, he said, but the congressman said he is unable to say whether he signed the documents in question. That’s an issue currently being addressed by federal law enforcement, Moylan said.

Moylan in August said he requested a full investigation by the Justice Department when financial irregularities were uncovered by the congressional Payroll and Benefits Office. According to Moylan, the irregularities were discovered after his chief of staff, Bobby Shringi, resigned earlier this year, and are related to Shringi’s job responsibilities.

Shringi, in response to the allegations, said that he followed all rules and laws, and that Moylan knew about and approved all personnel, spending and management decisions. 

My Jungle Rules asked Moylan to provide the payroll bonus documents for review, but he declined to do so, stating they contain confidential personnel information.

The bonuses paid to Moylan’s staff were unusually large, compared to bonuses paid to other congressional staffers.

Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives paid their employees an average bonus of $4,722.42 during the last few months of 2023, around the holidays, which is when bonuses typically are paid each year. 

Moylan’s office was far more generous.

Moylan in 2023 paid his dozen employees bonuses totaling $204,000, or an average bonus of $17,000. The largest bonus, of $24,000, was paid to Moylan’s chief of staff Shringi.

Moylan continued to pay large bonuses in 2024.

Thirteen of his employees were paid $210,000 in bonuses that year, or an average bonus of $16,153. 

Shringi received the largest bonus, of $25,000 — comparable to nearly nine weeks of extra pay for the chief of staff.

Former CNMI Del. James Sablan paid his employees only $47,000 in bonuses in 2023 and 2024 — a fraction of the bonuses paid to Moylan’s employees.

Moylan, commenting this week, would not say how the size of his staff bonuses was determined, but noted it is his job to make that decision. He said that issue also is being considered by federal law enforcement. 

The House Ethics Committee normally investigates complaints against employees suspected of violating rules or laws and sometimes recommends reporting its findings to law enforcement. That didn’t happen in this case, Moylan said, because congressional officials advised him to bring his concerns directly to law enforcement.

— Steve Limtiaco/[email protected]

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