Fofó Iosefa Fiti Sunia

Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia (March 13, 1937 – October 14, 2025) was an American Samoan politician. He was the first non-voting Delegate from American Samoa to the United States House of Representatives.

Early life and career Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia was born in Fagasā on March 13, 1937. He attended the University of Hawaiʻi and earned a bachelor's degree in economics.

Congress Sunia was elected to Congress in 1980. He served from January 3, 1981, until his resignation on September 6, 1988, after he was indicted on federal charges of running a payroll padding scheme. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five to fifteen months in prison and to pay $65,000 in restitution.

Political views As a Delegate to the U.S. Congress, Sunia opposed a Constitutional amendment which would have made English the official language of the United States. He argued that English already is the language of the U.S. and the law represented few if any changes to the status quo. He was quoted as saying: "… the 35,000 American Samoans on the island use the Samoan language in government, in the court, in business and in all facets of daily living, but strive to improve their proficiency in English." He did not believe the proposed amendment would reward "linguistic differences as an asset."

After Congress Sunia was released from prison after 11 months. His knowledge and experience outweighed his conviction and he was hired to work as a staff member for the American Samoa Fono. By 1993, he was the highest-ranking staffer.

Sunia died on October 14, 2025, at the age of 88.