Designations of Palau’s Senate President and Marshall Islands’ Former Mayor for Involvement in Significant Corruption

The Department of State is publicly designating Palau Senate President Hokkons Baules for his involvement in significant corruption on behalf of China-based actors. In addition, the Department is publicly designating Anderson Jibas, former mayor of the Kili/Bikini/Ejit community in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, for his involvement in significant corruption and misappropriation of U.S. provided funds during his time in public office. These actions render Baules, Jibas, and their immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into United States.

Baules abused his public position by accepting bribes in exchange for providing advocacy and support for government, business, and criminal interests from China. His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected U.S. interests in Palau.

Jibas abused his public position by orchestrating and financially benefitting from multiple misappropriation schemes involving theft, misuse, and abuse of funds from the U.S.-provided Bikini Resettlement Trust, resulting in most of the funds being stolen from the Kili/Bikini/Ejit people who are survivors and descendants of survivors of nuclear bomb testing in the 1940s and 1950s. The theft, misuse, and abuse of the U.S.-provided money for the fund wasted U.S. taxpayer money and contributed to a loss of jobs, food insecurity, migration to the United States, and lack of reliable electricity for the Kili/Bikini/Ejit people. The lack of accountability for Jibas’ acts of corruption has eroded public trust in the government of the Marshall Islands, creating an opportunity for malign foreign influence from China and others.

The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain and steal from our citizens to enrich themselves. These designations reaffirm the United States’ commitment to countering global corruption affecting U.S. interests.

These public designations are made under the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. F, P.L. 118-47), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (Div. A, P.L. 119-37) (“Section 7031(c)”). Section 7031(c) requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign officials and their immediate family members about whom the Secretary has credible information of involvement in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights.