A TOP Progressive Liberal Party Queen's Counsel says former Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald did nothing that should disqualify him from a senior post in the Davis administration.

In a now deleted tweet, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit on Tuesday said Mr Fitzgerald is the new senior policy advisor and head of PMDU. #Administration officials have since said Mr Fitzgerald’s role has not yet been finalised. photo THE NOW deleted tweet from the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit. #The Free National Movement, meanwhile, has been silent on the matter as the party waits to see if the former Marathon MP will be confirmed in the role. #Mr Fitzgerald was embroiled in controversy after The Tribune revealed in 2017 that he sought contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s business. Emails showed he requested brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts worth millions. #Critics claimed he breached the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefits advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.” #Damian Gomez, the state minister for legal affairs in the last Christie administration, said yesterday that while what Mr Fitzgerald did was not appropriate, it should not disqualify him from a top-level post. #However, he added: “I don’t know that Jerome has done anything that crosses the criminal line. I’m sure that if the FNM had thought so he would have been prosecuted in the way that they prosecuted Shane Gibson and Ken Dorsett and Frank Smith. The fact that they didn’t suggests that they tried but couldn’t find anything. Now you got to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know him to be an evil person. He’s never done anything in the 30 years that I’ve known him that would characterise him as such.”

In a now deleted tweet, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit on Tuesday said Mr Fitzgerald is the new senior policy advisor and head of PMDU.

Administration officials have since said Mr Fitzgerald’s role has not yet been finalised.

The Free National Movement, meanwhile, has been silent on the matter as the party waits to see if the former Marathon MP will be confirmed in the role.

Mr Fitzgerald was embroiled in controversy after The Tribune revealed in 2017 that he sought contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s business. Emails showed he requested brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts worth millions.

Critics claimed he breached the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefits advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.”

Damian Gomez, the state minister for legal affairs in the last Christie administration, said yesterday that while what Mr Fitzgerald did was not appropriate, it should not disqualify him from a top-level post.

However, he added: “I don’t know that Jerome has done anything that crosses the criminal line. I’m sure that if the FNM had thought so he would have been prosecuted in the way that they prosecuted Shane Gibson and Ken Dorsett and Frank Smith. The fact that they didn’t suggests that they tried but couldn’t find anything. Now you got to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know him to be an evil person. He’s never done anything in the 30 years that I’ve known him that would characterise him as such.”

 

Issued at 500 PM AST Thu Sep 30 2021

000
WTNT33 KNHC 302055
TCPAT3

BULLETIN
Hurricane Sam Advisory Number 33
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL

AL182021
500 PM AST Thu Sep 30 2021

...INTENSE HURRICANE SAM EXPECTED TO BRING LARGE SWELLS AND
DANGEROUS HIGH SURF TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE WESTERN ATLANTIC
SHORELINE...

SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...23.6N 60.9W
ABOUT 645 MI...1040 KM SSE OF BERMUDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...230 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 14 MPH...22 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...938 MB...27.70 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Bermuda Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for
Bermuda.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Bermuda

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor
products issued by your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Sam was located by
an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 23.6 North,
longitude 60.9 West. Sam is moving toward the northwest near 14
mph (22 km/h), and a turn toward the north-northwest with an
additional increase in forward speed is expected tonight. A turn
toward the north is anticipated on Friday, and a northeastward
motion is forecast to begin on Saturday. On the forecast track, the
core of Sam will pass to the east of Bermuda early Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher
gusts. Sam is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected
during the next couple of days, but Sam is forecast to remain a
major hurricane into Saturday, with more significant weakening
anticipated later in the weekend.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles
(240 km).

The minimum central pressure reported by the Hurricane Hunters is
938 mb (27.70 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
Key messages for Sam can be found in the Tropical Cyclone
Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3 and WMO header WTNT43 KNHC,
and on the web at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?key_messages.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected on Bermuda beginning
Friday night or early Saturday.

SURF: Swells generated by Sam will impact the northern Leeward
Islands and the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, during the
next few days. Swells are expected to reach Bermuda and the Bahamas
by Friday, and then spread to the United States east coast by this
weekend. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip
current conditions. Please consult products from your local
weather office.

NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
Next intermediate advisory at 800 PM AST.
Next complete advisory at 1100 PM AST.

$$
Forecaster Pasch

5-Day Uncertainty Track last updated Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:38:08 GMT



Wind Speed Probabilities last updated Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:38:08 GMT

Issued at 200 PM AST Thu Sep 30 2021

000
WTNT33 KNHC 301753
TCPAT3

BULLETIN
Hurricane Sam Intermediate Advisory Number 32A
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL

AL182021
200 PM AST Thu Sep 30 2021

...SAM MAINTAINING CATEGORY 4 INTENSITY...
...EXPECTED TO BRING DANGEROUS HIGH SURF TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE
WESTERN ATLANTIC SHORELINE...

SUMMARY OF 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...23.1N 60.5W
ABOUT 685 MI...1105 KM SSE OF BERMUDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...230 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...941 MB...27.79 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Bermuda

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor
products issued by your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 200 PM AST (1800 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Sam was located by
an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 23.1 North,
longitude 60.5 West. Sam is moving toward the northwest near 13
mph (20 km/h), and a turn toward the north-northwest with an
increase in forward speed is expected tonight. A turn toward the
north is anticipated by late Friday, and a northeastward motion is
forecast to begin on Saturday. On the forecast track, the core of
Sam will pass to the east of Bermuda early Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher
gusts. Sam is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected
during the next couple of days, but Sam is forecast to remain a
major hurricane through Saturday, with more significant weakening
anticipated later in the weekend.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from
the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150
miles (240 km).

The minimum central pressure measured by the Air Force Hurricane
Hunters is 941 mb (27.79 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
Key messages for Sam can be found in the Tropical Cyclone
Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3 and WMO header WTNT43 KNHC,
and on the web at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?key_messages.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are possible on Bermuda beginning
Friday night or early Saturday.

SURF: Swells generated by Sam will impact the northern Leeward
Islands and the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, during the
next few days. Swells are expected to reach Bermuda and the Bahamas
by Friday, and then spread to the United States east coast by this
weekend. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip
current conditions. Please consult products from your local
weather office.

NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
Next complete advisory at 500 PM AST.

$$
Forecaster Pasch