By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunmedia.net

A Progressive Liberal Party Member of Parliament has defended himself against allegations that he has not renounced his American citizenship as required by law when one runs for public office.

John Pinder, PLP MP for Central and South Abaco, told The Tribune yesterday he has a document dated July 29, 2021 which proves he is no longer a citizen of the United States and is now strictly a citizen of The Bahamas.

During the general election campaign, there were rumblings from the now opposition Free National Movement on the dual citizenship of Mr Pinder and the fact that he had to renounce one to be in compliance with Bahamian law.

On Monday, The Tribune explored the US Quarterly Publication of Individuals Who Have Chosen to Expatriate on federalregister.gov.

The notice, which was posted November 15, 2021, contains the name of each individual losing United States citizenship “with respect to whom the Secretary received information during the quarter ending September 30, 2021.”

Mr Pinder’s name did not appear on the list.

When asked about this Mr Pinder said as he had gone through the renouncement exercise in July, his name would not be included on that list.

“The date was July 29 and it was done right after my ratification as the PLP’s standard bearer for Central and South Abaco,” Mr Pinder explained. “I’ve sent the pertinent information to the Minister of Foreign Affairs this morning and the DPM some time ago. July 29 was the day it came back from Washington, DC, with the official stamp on it.

“Three months from then would be August, September, October. It was no doubt included in the one (federal list) previous to that. Renunciations are very, very rare. I’m surprised there is even a list on it. From my understanding from the embassy when I was doing it, there were not a lot done in embassies around the Caribbean. With that said, I did that long ago.”

This form of listing names of ex-citizens is not unique to the United States. Before the 1990s, however, loss of United States citizenship was not a matter of public record. At the time, the US State Department considered disclosure of the names of people giving up US citizenship may violate the Privacy Act of 1974 along with other laws.

The first list of former US citizens was released in a State Department letter to Congress made public by a 1995 Joint Committee on Taxation report. That report contained the names of 978 people who renounced US citizenship.

The Tribune searched the next available list which was dated July 29, 2021. Mr Pinder’s name was not on that list either. However, that date was the actual date that he said was on his document and it is not clear if the list was made up before his document was stamped.

The Tribune contacted Fred Mitchell, PLP chairman and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service, about the matter. He said he is satisfied the law was adhered to in Mr Pinder’s election to office.

“The party believes that John Pinder was duly qualified to be elected to office and has been so elected per the laws of The Bahamas,” Mr Mitchell said. “I cannot comment on the US document or its laws.”

Before the election, Mr Pinder, a resident of Abaco, was an estate manager and Realtor who lost his home in Hurricane Dorian and was living in a tent with his family. He chose to stay in Abaco to help with recovery and rebuilding.

The Abaco MP, who was actually born in the United States, explained his citizenship history and said he was happy to do away with it to serve his country.

“I was the last one ratified for the PLP party and just after that I started the process of renunciation of the citizenship,” he said. “The official document states July 29 and I came back from Washington, DC, with the stamp on it.

“That citizenship … I only got it because my father was going to technical school in the States at the time and that’s where I was born.

“So it’s just one of those things.

“As soon as I had the opportunity to get rid of it to serve my country, I was more than happy to.”

Mr Pinder is the parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.