Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. criticized the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after it suspended procurements related to the territory’s housing finance authority. The suspension concerns alleged fraud and misuse of nearly $2 billion in disaster-recovery assistance.
Governor Bryan, a Democrat, expressed his surprise at the suspension, describing HUD’s communication as “unprofessional.” He argued that issues in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ disaster recovery have been overstated and labeled the suspension an “overreach.” During a briefing in Charlotte Amalie, he mentioned that during his visits to Washington, he no longer meets with HUD or FEMA due to the absence of ongoing issues.
Gov. Bryan also speculated that the suspension might be a “political stunt,” coinciding with early voting in a gubernatorial election where he is term-limited. He questioned why the press and specifically Fox News had access to the suspension information and emphasized that his administration would appeal the decision.
Fox News Digital contacted HUD for a statement. Meanwhile, Bryan pointed out that an audit referenced in HUD’s suspension ended a while back, despite recent reports indicating ongoing risk management issues within the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority.
When questioned whether his administration felt “blindsided” by HUD’s letter and news coverage, Bryan affirmed this sentiment, stressing that costs in question had been addressed years ago. He further noted his administration’s progress on recovery efforts, highlighting projects like the one at Magen’s Bay, despite challenges with high costs for public housing units.
In a separate statement, Bryan acknowledged that several issues in HUD’s letter were pre-existing, but emphasized corrective actions have been underway. He stressed the importance of managing this situation without disrupting crucial housing and recovery initiatives.
Additionally, Bryan addressed past weaknesses in the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, stating that his administration had focused on capacity planning to support effective recovery, although this approach had slowed progress from some perspectives.
This suspension occurs as HUD works with the White House Task Force to combat fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds across various federal programs.
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