Attorney General Douglas Moylan asks Guam Legislature for $3.2M to recruit lawyers, cites staffing shortfall

Attorney General Douglas Moylan told the Guam Legislature’s Committee on Finance and Government Operations on May 7 that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) needs a $3.2 million increase in its FY2027 appropriation to recruit attorneys and shore up operations.

"We have been maintaining, and currently we have 30 attorneys. We need at least 50, but ... in order to do all the work required of us, we need 96," Moylan said in his opening testimony, citing a mix of prosecution, solicitors and civil responsibilities that the office must cover.

Moylan told senators that the $3.2 million request is effectively composed of $1.6 million the office projects it will lapse this fiscal year plus an additional $1.6 million needed to recruit and retain attorneys and essential support staff. He said the office has struggled to hire and keep lawyers because of competition from mainland firms and local pay differentials, and that some contract approvals have been delayed by the Department of Administration (DOA).

"I can't hire the lawyers that I need without $1.6 million," Moylan said, arguing the money needs to be available in the office's accounts so he can recruit and pay candidates when they arrive.

Committee members pressed Moylan on lapses and how the request relates to prior-year carryovers. Chair Senator Jesse Lujan said the committee will treat any recurring lapse-based funding as a net increase to the agency’s base appropriation and that the body will distinguish between carryover and an explicit FY2027 increase.

Moylan described personnel and operational pressures that drive the request: weekend work and high caseloads for prosecutors, a small solicitors staff handling government procurements and grants, and the cost of recruiting off-island attorneys. Chief Prosecutor Curtis Vandevelde and Deputy Neil Bonavita joined Moylan in testimony detailing heavy workloads and the toll on existing staff.

Moylan also raised administrative friction with the executive branch, saying the governor or DOA has at times withheld signatures or approvals on contracts and that the office has several unpaid contract liabilities. "It's an intentional undermining of the office," he said, in explaining recruitment and contracting delays.

The committee did not vote at the hearing. Senators said they would monitor lapse and vacancy tracking through the end of the fiscal year and consider the AG’s request as part of the larger budget deliberations.

The committee adjourned at 11:20 a.m.