Randy Knight Is No Longer With Mapp Administration

Last updated: Monday, 11:29 a.m.

ST. CROIX — Randolph Knight, above, Governor Kenneth Mapp’s chief of staff, recently resigned from his position and is no longer at Government House, two sources with intimate knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity have confirmed to The Consortium.

Government House, according to the second, well-placed source, is in an upheaval at the moment.

The first source informed the Consortium of the matter on Sunday afternoon, telling this publication that Mr. Knight had resigned from his position following multiple and ongoing bones of contention with Mr. Mapp and some members of his cabinet. Mr. Knight was spotted leaving the territory on Friday morning, through St. Thomas. The second source verified the information provided by the initial source this morning.

The departure of Mr. Knight is no small matter; he is a multi-millionaire who has spent untold sums supporting Mr. Mapp’s multiple bids for governor, and his position in the administration spoke to his considerable influence with the territory’s leader. But months of disagreements had climaxed, sources tell The Consortium, and there were rumblings of disputes between Mr. Knight and Frankie Johnson, a Mapp senior policy advisor. Also of growing influence at Government House is Juel Molloy, another one of the governor’s senior policy advisors.

During a Juan F. Luis Hospital board meeting in May, Ms. Molloy spoke with authority regarding major decisions that needed to be made at the hospital. “We’re going to be doing an in-depth review,” Ms. Molloy said referring to J.F.L. “We’re going to be looking at all facets of the hospital. The one thing that we all know is that we cannot continue the way that we have. I don’t think there is any disagreements on that.”

Mr. Knight also had disharmony with the governor about Cherie Munchez, the administration’s communications director, and wanted her fired for lack of experience. During the Limetree Bay official opening events, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Munchez were left out of a planned dinner; a situation that caused much consternation at Government House, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Ms. Munchez, in a text message sent to this reporter, said that Mr. Knight’s situation “will be addressed at tomorrow’s press conference,” which is to take place in St. Thomas on Tuesday. The latest information is contrary to what Ms. Munchez told this publication earlier this morning, and speaks to the chaos now unfolding at Government House. The communications director had said that a statement from Government House on the matter would be forthcoming today.

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