Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia
Encyclopedia
Ipulasi Aitofele Toese Fiti Sunia (born March 27, 1943 Fagatogo
, American Samoa
) is an American Samoa
n lawyer
and politician
. Sunia has served as the Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
since April 11, 2003.
, American Samoa
. His parents were Elder Rev. Fiti and Savali Alesana Sunia. His father was a minister. Sunia was later adopted by Toese Namu Sagapolutele and Samanu Alo Sagapolutele.
Sunia was educated at Marist Elementary School
, Feleti Memorial Demonstration Junior High School and Samoana High School. His family moved to Hawaii when he was a teenager, so Sunia graduated from President Theodore Roosevelt High School
in Honolulu in 1962. Following his graduation from high school, Sunia attended Concord College
, located in Athens, West Virginia
, from 1962 until 1965.
, Masons
and the Shriners.
Sunia worked as a High Court of American Samoa
court interpreter from 1965 until 1968. From 1968 until 1969, he was employed at the American Samoa Weather Station as a mediological(meteorological) technician
.
He returned to college in 1970 and attended San Francisco State University
. He transferred to the University of San Francisco
in 1971 and 1972. Sunia graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science
degree in government
. He further enrolled in the University of San Francisco's law school, where he received a Juris Doctor
in Law
in 1975.
Sunia returned to American Samoa, where he took a position as the territory's Assistant Attorney General
from 1976 until 1978. He became the legal counsel for the American Samoa Fono
from 1979 to 1983, and later also served as legal councel for the director for the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Sunia became a partner
in a private law firm
, Kruse, Sunia & Ward, from 1983 until 1988. He was elevated to judge pro-tem from 1986 until 1988. He returned to his former position as Assistant Attorney General from 1988 until 1992.
He was appointed the Treasurer of American Samoa from 1993 until 1994. In 1994, Sunia became the head legal counsel for the American Samoan Fono for a second time. He next became Treasurer again in 2001, where he remained until 2003.
Sunia further served on the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council for six year.
selected Sunia as the new Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
. Tulafono, Sunia's predecessor as lieutenant governor, had become governor following the unexpected death of former Governor Tauese Sunia
of a heart attack in March 2003 while en route to Honolulu for medical treatment. Ipulasi Sunia was the younger brother of the late Governor Tauese Sunia.
Sunia was sworn into office as Lieutenant Governor on Friday, April 11, 2003, after he was confirmed by the American Samoan legislature earlier the same day. The oath of office
was administered by Territorial Chief Justice Michael Kruse
.
Tulafono and Sunia were elected to a full term with 56% of the vote in 2004 following a run-off election.
Sunia and American Samoa Senator Tini Lam Yuen were arrested and indicted in September 2007 in a federal corruption
probe for awarding local United States Department of Education
contracts. The charges stemmed from when Sunia's tenure as the American Samoan Treasurer. Sunia has denied all charges.
Governor Togiola Tulafono and Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia announced their joint reelection campaign on May 10, 2008, at the Tradewinds Hotel in Tafuna
. The 2008 American Samoa gubernatorial election
took place on November 4, 2008.
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Fagatogo, American Samoa
Fagatogo is village situated on Tutuila Island, Pago Pago Harbour. Population is 3000. Fagatogo is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the official seat of government.)-External links:...
, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
) is an American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
n lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Sunia has served as the Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
The government of American Samoa consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the American Samoa Fono, which consists of an 18-member Senate and a 21-member House of Representatives. The first popular election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor took place in 1977...
since April 11, 2003.
Early life
Sunia was born on March 27, 1943, in FagatogoFagatogo, American Samoa
Fagatogo is village situated on Tutuila Island, Pago Pago Harbour. Population is 3000. Fagatogo is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the official seat of government.)-External links:...
, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. His parents were Elder Rev. Fiti and Savali Alesana Sunia. His father was a minister. Sunia was later adopted by Toese Namu Sagapolutele and Samanu Alo Sagapolutele.
Sunia was educated at Marist Elementary School
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
, Feleti Memorial Demonstration Junior High School and Samoana High School. His family moved to Hawaii when he was a teenager, so Sunia graduated from President Theodore Roosevelt High School
President Theodore Roosevelt High School
President Theodore Roosevelt High School is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve...
in Honolulu in 1962. Following his graduation from high school, Sunia attended Concord College
Concord University
Concord University is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts institution located in Athens, West Virginia, United States, founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in Concord Church, in the County of Mercer".Founded by...
, located in Athens, West Virginia
Athens, West Virginia
Athens is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,102 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. It is the home of Concord University.-History:...
, from 1962 until 1965.
Personal life
Sunia is married to Elisapeta Pula Nikolao Iuli. The couple have seven children and one grandchild. According to his official biography, Sunia is a member of the Lions Clubs InternationalLions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
, Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and the Shriners.
Sunia worked as a High Court of American Samoa
High Court of American Samoa
The High Court of American Samoa is the highest court below the United States Supreme Court in American Samoa. The Court is located in the capital of Fagatogo. It consists of a Chief Justice and an Associate Justice, appointed by the United States Secretary of the Interior...
court interpreter from 1965 until 1968. From 1968 until 1969, he was employed at the American Samoa Weather Station as a mediological(meteorological) technician
Technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
.
He returned to college in 1970 and attended San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. He transferred to the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
in 1971 and 1972. Sunia graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. He further enrolled in the University of San Francisco's law school, where he received a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in 1975.
Sunia returned to American Samoa, where he took a position as the territory's Assistant Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
from 1976 until 1978. He became the legal counsel for the American Samoa Fono
American Samoa Fono
The Legislature of American Samoa or Fono is the territorial legislature of American Samoa. Like most state and territorial legislatures of the United States, it is a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives and a Senate...
from 1979 to 1983, and later also served as legal councel for the director for the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Sunia became a partner
Partner (business rank)
A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position. Originally, these businesses were set up as legal partnerships in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits of the enterprise. The name has remained even though many of these...
in a private law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
, Kruse, Sunia & Ward, from 1983 until 1988. He was elevated to judge pro-tem from 1986 until 1988. He returned to his former position as Assistant Attorney General from 1988 until 1992.
He was appointed the Treasurer of American Samoa from 1993 until 1994. In 1994, Sunia became the head legal counsel for the American Samoan Fono for a second time. He next became Treasurer again in 2001, where he remained until 2003.
Sunia further served on the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council for six year.
Lieutenant Governor
Sunia remained Treasurer until 2003. In 2003, Governor Togiola TulafonoTogiola Tulafono
Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono is the Governor of American Samoa. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor, taking this position on January 3, 1997....
selected Sunia as the new Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
The government of American Samoa consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the American Samoa Fono, which consists of an 18-member Senate and a 21-member House of Representatives. The first popular election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor took place in 1977...
. Tulafono, Sunia's predecessor as lieutenant governor, had become governor following the unexpected death of former Governor Tauese Sunia
Tauese Sunia
Tauese Tuailemafua Pita Fiti Sunia was the governor of American Samoa from 1997 until his death. He died during his second term, on March 26, 2003, while on a flight to Hawaii for medical treatment....
of a heart attack in March 2003 while en route to Honolulu for medical treatment. Ipulasi Sunia was the younger brother of the late Governor Tauese Sunia.
Sunia was sworn into office as Lieutenant Governor on Friday, April 11, 2003, after he was confirmed by the American Samoan legislature earlier the same day. The oath of office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
was administered by Territorial Chief Justice Michael Kruse
Michael Kruse
Michael Kruse , LL.B , MCL is the Chief Justice of American Samoa.-Personal:...
.
Tulafono and Sunia were elected to a full term with 56% of the vote in 2004 following a run-off election.
Sunia and American Samoa Senator Tini Lam Yuen were arrested and indicted in September 2007 in a federal corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
probe for awarding local United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
contracts. The charges stemmed from when Sunia's tenure as the American Samoan Treasurer. Sunia has denied all charges.
Governor Togiola Tulafono and Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia announced their joint reelection campaign on May 10, 2008, at the Tradewinds Hotel in Tafuna
Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna is a village on the east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located on a peninsular a mile north of Pago Pago International Airport and one mile south of Nu'uuli, American Samoa. Tafuna is the largest village in American Samoa, with a population of 8,209 according to the US...
. The 2008 American Samoa gubernatorial election
American Samoa gubernatorial election, 2008
The 2008 American Samoa gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2008, coinciding with the 2008 United States general elections and the American Samoa general election. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two candidates was held on...
took place on November 4, 2008.
External links
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