United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Governor Kenneth E. Mapp has called USVI Senator Janette Millin Young a jackass, “setty fowl” and stupid for alleging that he is maliciously withholding her mother’s pension monies that the government owes, because she refused to vote for the ArcLight deal. Photo: VI Consortium/The Bahamas Weekly

In an interview with The  Consortium’s Ernice Gilbert this afternoon, January 8, 2016 (an interview originally set for Saturday), the governor said Mrs Millin Young is crazy. He also revealed that the monies the government owes the senator’s mother is over $600,000, and made known that the legislature must approve the releasing of those funds. More on our interview with the governor, including a complete explanation as to what transpired (in video and text) in the coming days.

“This evening Sen. Millin Young via VI Consortium accused me of attempting to bribe her for her vote on the Limetree Bay Terminal agreement,” said the governor in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday night, January 7, 2016. “She claims I’m withholding monies the government owes her family via her father’s, former Lt. Gov Henry Millin’s estate. I have never had any conversation with the Senator regarding the operating agreement, or a money owed to her family. I will address this matter publicly as I am offended by her accusation. Given my annoyance, I sent the senator this message earlier:

I did not realise how dishonest and frankly how “stupid” you are. I have never spoken to you about ArcLight or any monies that may be owed to your father’s estate. Never, not once. To accuse me of trying to bribe you for your vote; The Consortium was not the place for you to go. You are a confounded liar and a jackass. I will work or refuse to work with you on the terms you have established. It is clear that you care about one issue and that issue is Janette Millin Young. How sad! Why are you such a setty fowl?”

The governor’s Facebook post, which has since been deleted, ignited a firestorm on the social network, receiving unnumbered comments in support and against his remarks. The governor confirmed to The Consortium in today’s interview that he indeed wrote the post, and his account was not hacked, as some were suggesting. And he said while some may not approve of his response to the six-term St Thomas Democrat, a response was warranted because he was being accused of a crime. “She is crazy,” he said today, January 8, 2016.

Said Mrs Millin Young in last night’s press release: “The fact remains that the governor and his commissioner of Finance repeatedly made calls to my mother, and the Finance commissioner called me, regarding a pending pension matter that concerns my father’s pension while the ArcLight agreement was before the Legislature, actions I find to be reprehensible.

“Despite the fact that Gov. deJongh and I disagreed on a myriad of issues, I respect the fact that he did the right thing before leaving office by separating my mother’s issue and our political differences. In stark contrast, Gov. Mapp and his administration have had a year to make the payments, instead, the administration chose to begin calling my mother and me while the ArcLight negotiations were going on to let us know that the payment would be released before December 31, 2015. The end of the year date is the same deadline imposed by the ArcLight negotiators to seal their deal.

“Why call me and let me to know monies would be on the way? Why call me about ArcLight and in the same breath mention the monies owed to my mother?” Mrs Millin Young questioned. “Now Gov. Mapp has chosen to hold hostage a widower’s pension due to political reasons. This hurts because my father served this territory honorably for decades. I implore Gov. Mapp and Finance Commissioner Valdamier Collens to put aside political interference and to do the right thing by honoring the legally required pension obligation former Lt. Governor Millin earned from his tenure as lieutenant governor.”

Mrs Millin Young has yet to respond to the governor’s rebuke.