He worked in the government as a foreign service officer and later became an advisor to Acting President Thomas Remengesau.[3] He was the Chief of Staff of President Kuniwo Nakamura before being appointed as the Minister of State of Palau in 2001 under Thomas Remengesau Jr.[3] Shmull accompanied President Remengesau on his visit to Japan from August 1, 2001 to August 8, 2001.[4] On March 3, 2006, he submitted the country's application for membership to the International Atomic Energy Agency which was approved on March 8, 2006.[5] On March 9, 2006, the Governor of Peleliu Jackson Ngiraingas asked the Senate of Palau to conduct an investigation into numerous allegations of conflicts of interest against Shmull and other politicians.[6] Shmull's alleged conflict of interest being his $85,000 purchase of a speedboat at Surangel & Sons in 2005.[6]
He became the Governor of Peleliu in January 2013.[3] In January 2014, he was charged with soliciting prostitutes at a karaoke bar which is illegal in Palau.[7] In March 2014, former Palauan politician Joshua Koshiba called for the removal of Shmull as vice president of the Palau National Olympic Committee though he would be reconfirmed in his position in February 2017.[8][9] He successfully ran for a second term as governor in the December 2015 election defeating former governor Jackson Ngiraingas.[10] He won his third term as governor in the December 2018 election in which he received 309 votes and Ngiraingas received 265 votes.[11][12] In April 2019, to commemorate International Mine Awareness Day, Shmull announced that he believed the presence of anti-personnel landmines had been eradicated from the state.[13] In April 2020, he was sued by Ngiraingas for violating the Open Government Act by not responding to his letters requesting information in 2015 and had to pay a fine of $500 and make the requested documents available.[14] He stepped down due to the term limits of the constitution of Peleliu and was succeeded by Emais Roberts, who he endorsed, in January 2022.[15][16]
Personal life
Shmull's mother, Dirramolei Mellomes E. Shmull, died in August 2018.[1] Shmull's son Temmy Shmull Jr. serves as treasurer of Belau Offshore Fisheries Inc. which is the country's official administrator of tuna and other fish species.[17][18]
^"In re Tabkusik, 18 ROP 16 (Land Ct. 2010)"(PDF). www.palausupremecourt.net. December 29, 2010. p. 20. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024. Temmy Shmull, age 62, is also a member of PSPLA.
