Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, September 28, 2014
Galuteria Pushed Kakaako Makai Bill While on Payroll of OHA Trustee
By Andrew Walden @ 10:04 PM :: 12007 Views :: Ethics, Development, OHA

by Andrew Walden

Reversing his 2012 position, Sen. Brickwood Galuteria stood in the 2014 legislative session against his own constituents as point man for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' push to up-zone its new properties at Kakaako Makai. 

This much is known. 

What is not known is that somewhere in between 2012 and 2014, Galuteria landed a lucrative position as "Director, Community and Civic Engagement" with the Pelatron Center for Economic Development (PCED)* headed by OHA Trustee Robert K. Lindsey, Jr.

Galuteria began working for PCED where, according to the PCED website, Lindsey serves as Chairman of the Board, at some point after his May 30, 2013 financial disclosure report but before his February 6, 2014 report.  PCED is a non-profit corporation wrapped around a for-profit subsidiary, Pelatron, Inc, which is an 8-a government contractor.  According to his ethics filings, Galuteria is paid between $50,000 and 100,000 per year by PCED--an amount greater than his legislative salary. 

In a March 30, 2012 Hawaii Senate Majority News Release, Galuteria had said the bill transferring Kakako Makai to OHA, "...brings closure to a long-standing dispute....”  But two years later, with Galuteria on PCED's payroll, things changed.  The Star-Advertiser, January 30, 2014, reported that Galuteria "shares the view that OHA didn’t get enough in its settlement."

Galuteria introduced SB3122 on January 23, 2014 which "authorizes residential development by OHA on specified parcels in Kakaako Makai.... (and) (e)xempts development from public facilities dedication requirement." 

HRS 84-14 (d) reads: "No legislator or employee shall assist any person or business or act in a representative capacity for a fee or other compensation to secure passage of a bill or to obtain a contract, claim, or other transaction or proposal...."

Senate Rule 71 reads: "Members with conflicts of interest shall be excused from voting."

In addition to introducing SB3122 Galuteria voted in favor of it every time it came before him.  He was not excused from any vote.  Galuteria also introduced other OHA-related legislation during the 2014 session, including SB2992 SD1, which would have exempted “meetings of the Board of Trustees, Office of Hawaiian Affairs from (the Sunshine Law) Chapter 92, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to open meetings.”  

"Director, Community and Civic Engagement" is just another way of saying "lobbyist."  Galuteria has not registered as a lobbyist with the State Ethics Commission.

Sen. Galuteria did not respond to a request for comment on this article.

UPDATE December 16, 2014: OHA Trustee Lindsey has responded to this article.  

---30---

*Galuteria lists his employer as "Pacific Center for Economic Development" on both of his financial disclosure reports but PCED changed its name to "Pelatron Center for Economic Development" on October 1, 2013 according to DCCA BREG.

Follow Up: Ethics Complaint Filed: Call for Galuteria to Resign 

 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT