John Saldivar Opens Up on the Talk Show Circuit
In his first media appearance since being stripped of the spot of leader elect of the U.D.P. and resigning from Cabinet, last Thursday, Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar today spoke on the Love FM’s The Morning Show, but did not speak to the waiting press after the appearance. Saldivar was questioned about the Lev Dermen scandal, as well as monies he received from the incarcerated fraudster dating back to 2013. The former Minister of National also addressed a number of issues, including his campaign against erstwhile Deputy Party Leader Patrick Faber, campaign contributions, his status within the United Democratic Party and his way forward as a disgraced politician. There is plenty to take away from the lengthy conversation, but we’ll begin with the receipt of funds from Dermen seven years ago. Now in the texts messages presented in the Utah court, Saldivar spoke of the usual monthly contributions of twenty-five thousand dollars, asking for fifty thousand US dollars for February and March. When pressed by the hosts, Saldivar said he could not recollect when the tranches ceased to come in on a monthly basis. He also said that the twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars was not a standard payout and that the monthly contributions fluctuated.
John Saldivar
John Saldivar, Area Representative, Belmopan
“The contributions as you have now seen from the testimony were six years or so ago.”
Tanya Hulse, Co-host, Love FM’s The Morning Show
“So those had not continued.”
John Saldivar
“Of course not.”
Ernesto Vasquez, Co-host, Love FM’s The Morning Show
“Are you willing to say how much you received?”
Lev Dermen
John Saldivar
“I can’t recall. This person…”
Ernesto Vasquez
“Can’t recall? I mean you noh forget things like that.”
John Saldivar
“No man, no man. Let me tell you this Ernesto, first of all this issue about twenty-five thousand dollars a month. Noh man, the man gave different amounts, varying amounts at different times and that’s how much… It’s not like I was keeping notes and that, what does that matter? The man was generous. There are many other generous business people around who give substantial amounts to different campaigns, including mine and we are not under any obligation to disclose amounts or who. We can talk about that, we can talk about campaign financing laws and all of that but at this point in time we are not required to. So to ask that sort of question to me…”
Ernest Vasquez
“You are not required to by law, but I think what Tanya is coming at is that as citizens of this country, we need our politicians, people like you, you need to be held to some responsibility…”
John Saldivar
“But I will not be held to a standard that nobody else is being held to.”
Tanya Hulse
“But why not, set the example.”
John Saldivar
“I won’t be held to a standard that nobody else is being held to.”
Ernesto Vasquez
“So we need to change the standards and so we talk about it together and we change it together, but you don’t single me out to hold to a standard which nobody else is [being held to]. You got caught.”
John Saldivar
“No, not got caught because got caught with what? You see, Ernesto, and this is the problem that we are perpetuating. We are perpetuating that I did something wrong. Got caught with what? Everybody gets campaign contributions. Now coming back to Tanya’s point about, first of all…”
Tanya Hulse
“The character of the individual…”
John Saldivar
“First of all, we are thinking that this was still happening. Of course not, this fellow, for instance, has been in jail since 2018, okay. Has been in jail since 2018, so obviously they can’t be making any financial contributions to anybody. So second of all, the testimony has borne out that it’s between 2013 and 2014. What was the state of this fellow’s reputation and character at that time? That is what is important, because if we are going to be held accountable for what people turn out to be six years later, ten years later, fifteen years later then we have a serious jeopardy that we are placing our politicians in. I am saying that at the time that I received funds from him, he was…”
Tanya Hulse
“Not of questionable character to your knowledge.”
John Saldivar
“Not of questionable character to my knowledge, to anybody’s knowledge, to the Special Branch’s knowledge, to Interpol’s knowledge, to anybody’s knowledge was he any person of questionable character. He arrested in 2018.”
