Ethics

... During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers demonstrated strong interest in matters concerning the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) ....

...The Fumble or The Phantom Punch....

... This bill was so close to the finish line that the only question seemed to be whether Gov. Ige would agree to limit his power ....

... HB526 and SB1329 ....

... Court documents said Harleman used his firm, Precision Accounting Hawaii, to defraud an Oahu landscaping business out more than $415,000 ....

... a “potential catastrophe” enabling “abuse of discretion… (which) …will promote and enable favoritism and/or corruption in public procurement.” ....

... “We’re not proud of it.  But crystal methamphetamine is our gift to the nation. It started here.” -- Judge and Former US Attorney Ed Kubo ....

... and he pulls no punches ....

"...This is a great loss to OHA‘s beneficiaries. There are numerous questions of accountability and transparency which will go unanswered without the state legislative audit...."

... the report spends lots of time reviewing the Auditor’s recent actions involving the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ....

... OHA shall promote the idea that every property in Hawai'i is sacred and pursue initiatives that help achieve a broad acceptance of this truth ....

he “...had previously attempted to divert federal grant funds to his bank account”....

... The House voted for a suspension running through December 31, 2022 ....

... Scathing ‘audit’ of Hawaii state auditor Les Kondo is met with scathing rebuttal ....

... Federal regulators are probing financial reporting discrepancies stemming from an effort to funnel $75 million through state Republican parties to the national GOP effort to reelect Donald Trump ....

.... Speaker Saiki and Senate President Kochi have until April 28 (Adjournment Day) to rectify the situation if they so desire ....

“...Securities Commission of the State of Hawaii is about to commence an enforcement action ... based upon the sale of unregistered Kingdom of Hawaii Exchequer Bonds, in violation of HRS § 485A-301....”

... Six years after the fact, State court litigation in the Sgt Anson Kimura shooting case is about to kick into high gear ....

... There's a lot there: acronyms, bureaucracy-speak, family-inside politician dealings, tax fraud convictions, and the like ....

... The report was written solely for the purpose of keeping OHA Trustees Executive Session minutes out of the hands of State Auditor Les Kondo .... 

... DLIR hired a vendor to perform investigations focusing on overpayments. Solid State Operations, Inc. will begin with 25 investigators on April 6 ....

... The Judicial Council is seeking applicants to fill upcoming vacancies on the Hawaii State Ethics Commission and Campaign Spending Commission ....

... Federal corruption probe targets DPP staffers and one local architect ....

... Cap't Ben Mahi was the 2nd-highest-ranking officer of HPD Division 1, when a drunken Division 1 Sgt Anson Kimura accidentally shot waitress Hyun Ju Park ....

... Hanalei Aipoalani, 42, of Waianae, Hawaii, pled guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $500,000 from AmeriCorps and to agreeing to accept a bribe for the administration of grants under the CARES Act ....

... ODC complaint claims a conflict of interest existed when local attorneys Megan Kau and Tristan Andres worked simultaneously for a Michael Miske company and for an HPD Sgt who arrested Miske ....

... Hawaii's Legislature is about halfway through its 2021 session, and if we're lucky, the good will outweigh the bad when it's over ....

"...caused approximately a 10% reduction in the Fall 2020 enrollment...."

"... make a contribution of any amount to my campaign, and I’ll send you a Zoom invite to my webinar fundraiser. It’ll be worthwhile, I promise!...."

... SP18 requires an agency that relies on the suspended deadlines to acknowledge receipt of “UIPA Requests”  ....

... The video was sent to officers Friday morning on the department’s private communication channel ....

... HYCF has conducted cattle ranching operations on HYCF property for many years ....

... “Sharon then related that she was going to be the next governor but ‘this’ will mess up her plans.” ....

... The parcel is one of several not included on Blangiardi’s, June 8, 2020, Candidate Financial Disclosure form ....

...HB1271 dissolves the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) and transfers all its resource except the director to the Department of Agriculture....

... One of the nation’s leading 911 conspiracy theorists has been nominated to serve on the Maui County Charter Commission ....

"... those payments came with a 3.5% convenience fee — higher than any other vendor taking electronic payments ...."

... The Working Group’s questions about the lawsuit filed by OHA against me and the office – a lawsuit that is ongoing – are also wholly inappropriate and can only help OHA in the litigation .... 

... According to the complaint filed by Bankruptcy Trustee Michael Katzenstein,  Clearcom, a Hee family company, has been receiving payment under the table from Oceanic Time Warner, Charter, and possibly others ....

... It is naturally hard to say no to an ex-tweeker who, at Bishop Estate, achieved the kind of things most Honolulu politicians can only dream of ....

"... Lee said she and Officer Chu have been growing marijuana ever since her husband left her ...."

... A survey commissioned by the agency in 2015 found that the public regarded OHA as the least favorable of the major Hawaiian-serving organizations ....

... According to Laeha’s suit he was suspended by OHA’s then-CEO Kamanao Crabbe one day before he was set to reveal OHA’s real budget and "corrupt and unlawful practices" to Legislators ....

"... Soliciting, selling, or otherwise engaging in a substantial financial transaction with a subordinate or a person or business whom the legislator or employee inspects or supervises in the legislator's or employee's official capacity ...."

... all Legislative employees working in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be able to be vaccinated as members of its prioritized vaccination system's Phase 1b (i.e., individuals essential for government operations), on January 28, 2021 ....

... This is made possible with the issuance of a “no action message” by DFI, which will not take any action against these companies during the two-year period of the program ....

... a perpetual emergency status ....

... ADC’s emphasis on land acquisition has made it a costly, disorganized and ineffective program while the state and counties have failed to fulfill their promises to landowners participating in the IAL program ....

... but he can get back to being a shyster in 5 years ....

... Nickie Lum Davis has retained Potomac International Partners to push for a grant of clemency. One of the lobbyists on the account is Mark Cowan, who was a member of Trump’s transition team ....