Gay US envoy’s hubby stokes corruption flap in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.-The US Embassy on Saturday respondedto president Danilo Medina’s challenge that US ambassador James W. Brewsterreveal the cases of government corruption the envoy mentioned d in an interviewTuesday on SIN Network.

In an apparent stand-down in the spat thatincluded the gay diplomat’s husband Bob Satawake, Brewster told outlet Listin Diario that Washington’s a closeties with Dominican authorities date back many years, and hopes to continue working with the country on issuessuch as government corruption and the war on drugs.

Brewster’s assertion that the DominicanRepublic has become a major bridge to ship drugs was countered by Medina’schallenge to reveal cases of corruption and that his country US had become a "10-lane avenue" destination for thosenarcotics.

"We have a relationship of many years ofclose cooperation with the Dominican authorities, which includes the fightagainst corruption, drugs, and other issues affecting both countries. We hopeto continue collaborating in the future," said the embassy statement toListin Diario, signed by press attaché Kelly McCarthy.

The spat unleashed a Twitter war when Dominicandeputy in the Central American Parliament, Manolo Pichardo, called the US the world’slargest consumer of drugs. "Its banks are laundries, pursue othercitizens. Do they fight against drugs?" Pichardo said.

Satawake weighed in: "If we are such ahorrible country, why did 80,000 Dominican immigrants (go) to the United Statesin 2015."