>>> THE OFFICIAL DEATH TOLL IN THE BAHAMAS AFTER HURRICANE
DORIAN IS NOW UP TO 50 PEOPLE,
BUT THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO
JUMP QUITE A BIT.
A QUOTE FROM FROM AN ABACOS
RESIDENT SAYING, QUOTE, I SAW 80
BODIES.
BODIES. THERE ARE AT LEAST 1,000 PEOPLE
DEAD ON MY ISLAND.
THERE ARE REPORTS THERE ARE
STILL HUNDREDS PERHAPS EVEN
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
STILL MISSING.
STILL MISSING. ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS
70,000 PEOPLE, 70,000 ARE
HOMELESS IN THE BAHAMAS.
THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND
ALLIES AS AMERICANS AND THEY’RE
GOING THROUGH AN UNFOLDING
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. JUST THIS WEEK WE ALL SAW WHAT
HAPPENED WHEN DESPERATE PEOPLE
FLEEING THE DEVASTATION IN THE
BU HOMOZWERE ORDERED OFF A FERRY
GOING TO THE BUBAHAMAS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CASTING
ASPIRATIONS SAYING, QUOTE SOME
VERY BAD PEOPLE AND VERY BAD
GANG MEMBERS AND VERY BAD DRUG
DEALERS HAVE GONE TO THE BAHAMAS
AND NOW THE U.S. NEEDS TO KEEP
THOSE PEOPLE OUT TRYING TO COME
IN.
IN. NOW IT APPEARS CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PROTECTION IS IN FACT
CLOSING THE DOOR ON THESE FOLKS
STIPULATING RESTRICTIONS AND
DOUBLING DOWN ON REQUIREMENTS.
JOINING ME NOW IS FRANCIS
ROBELES.
ROBELES. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION OF
WHAT YOU NEED AS SOMEONE IN THE
BAHAMAS IN ORDER TO GET TO THE
U.S. NOW.
U.S. NOW. HAS THAT CONFUSION BEEN CLEARED
UP?
UP? >> IT HAS BEEN CLEARED UPCH EVEN
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
DIDN’T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE
REQUIREMENTS WERE.
REQUIREMENTS WERE. IT DEPENDED WHAT TIME OF DAY YOU
ASKED THEM AND WHO YOU ASKED.
AND SO THE FINAL ANSWER IS THE
POLICY YOU CANNOT GET ON A FERLY
WITH ONLY A PASSPORT AND A GOOD
CONDUCT CERTIFICATE, YOU NEED A
VISA.
VISA. SO THERE WAS A FEELING ON SUNDAY
NIGHT WELL, THERE WAS A CATEGORY
5 HURRICANE, LOOK AT ALL THESE
PEOPLE, LET’S LET THEM GO.
AND THAT’S THE RULE THEY DECIDED
NOT TO BE FLEXIBLE ON.
>> JUST TO KNEE CLEAR THAT MEANS
PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE
CAPITOL TO GET THAT VISA HAVE TO
TRAVEL IN THE MIDST OF THIS
WRECKAGE AND PERHAPS HOMELESS
WITH THEIR PAPERS HAVE TO GO
ABOUT FINDING SOME WAY TO GET A
VISA, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> NOT JUST A VISA, THERE’S AN
EASIER STEP.
EASIER STEP. THEY CAN GET A GOOD CONDUCT
CERTIFICATE, YOU CAN TRAVEL THAT
WAY, BUT YOU’VE HAVE TO BE
TRAVELING FROM NASSAU OR ON A
PLANE.
PLANE. IF YOU WERING TO GET ON A BOAT
WITHOUT A TRAVEL VISA THAT’S A
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. WE KNOW MORE THAN 5,000
BAHAMIANS REQUESTED A VISA FROM
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY.
SO WE’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE
EXPECTING FAR MORE PEOPLE IN THE
DAYS TO COME.
>> YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN COVERING
FOR A WHILE THE AFTERMATH OF THE
HURRICANE MARIA IN PUERTO RICO,
THE AFTERMATH OF WHAT HAPPENED
THERE.
THERE. AND THERE WAS SOME REALLY
STARTLING NEWS TODAY AND I WAS
SORT OF SURPRISED IT DID NOT
BLOW UP MORE, THAT A FORMER FEMA
OFFICIAL IS ACCUSED OF TAKING
BRIBES IN THE RECOVERY OF
HURRICANE MARIA AND WAS INDICTED
TODAY.
TODAY. >> THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE SENIOR OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF
RESTORATION IN PUERTO RICO IT
SEEMS SHE WAS IN A ROMANTIC
RELATIONSHIP WITH A THE TOP
CONTRACTOR, A CONTRACTOR THAT
GOT ABOUT $2 BILLION, BILLION
WITH A "B" DOLLARS IN CONTRACTS
TO RESTORE THE ENERGY IN PUERTO
RICO.
RICO. I DO THINK THERE’S GOING TO BE A
LITTLE BIT OF A FUZZY LINE
BETWEEN ACCEPTING A BRIBE AND
HAVING A ROMANCE WITH, YOU KNOW,
A TOP CONTRACTOR.
SHE’S NOT BEING ACCUSED OF
TAKING MONEY IN PAPER BAGS, BUT,
YOU KNOW, HOTEL TRIPS, AIRLINE
FLIGHTS, HELICOPTER RIDES.
AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND
GOING INTO MEETINGS IN FEMA AND
LOOKING LIKE SHE WAS AN ADVOCATE
FOR THIS COMPANY.
I MEAN, THERE’S E-MAILS AND TEXT
MESSAGES WHERE SHE LOOKS LIKE
SHE’S THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IN
THESE MEETINGS, AND THAT IS
GOING TO BE A BIG PROBLEM.
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE I’M
TRACKING THIS STORY.
THIS IS FEMA OFFICIAL WHO WORKS
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO’S TASKED
WITH OVERSEEING THE RESTORATION
OF THE GRID WHICH OF COURSE IS
THE SINGLE BIGGEST ISSUE ON
PUERTO RICO AND NOTORIOUSLY
UNRELIABLE AND SHE WAS
ROMANICALLY INVOLVE WOULD THE
PERSON THAT RAN THE COMPANY THAT
GOT A $2 BILLION CONTRACT FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
RESTORE THE GRID?
>> I DON’T THINK THEY WERE IN A
ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WHEN THEY
GOT THE CONTRACT.
I THINK THE RELATIONSHIP
DEVELOPED IN THAT YEAR THAT
EVERYBODY SPENT ON THE GROUNDS
TRYING TO GET THE POWER BACK UP.
AND SO THEY’RE VERY ADAMANT
ABOUT THAT, LIKE WAIT A SECOND,
HE HADN’T EVEN MET HER WHEN THIS
THING STARTED.
THING STARTED. BUT THEN YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF HER
IN MEETINGS SAYING, WELL, YOU
KNOW, I THINK THESE GUYS SHOULD
BE THE ONES TO TAKE CARE OF THAT
EXPLOSION AND THAT DAMAGED
EQUIPMENT.
EQUIPMENT. OH, I THINK THESE GUYS SHOULD
GET THIS MUCH FOR THIS PROJECT.
>> UNREAL.
>> UNREAL. >> IT’S A BIG PROBLEM.
SHE’S FACING 10 FEDERAL CHARGES.