It seems to me that the serious charges filed last week against Honolulu’s former police chief, his wife, and several officers in the chief’s inner circle, are also an indictment of the officials who sat on their hands as allegations surfaced over the past couple of years. From the mayor to the city council to the city prosecutor and the majority of the police commission, all looked the other way or hid behind the ongoing federal investigation to avoid having to deal with the situation.
Civil Beat is now reporting that the federal investigation is actively ongoing (see “How Far Will The Honolulu Police Corruption Investigation Spread?“).
A new federal grand jury has already been empaneled. Special prosecutor Wheat is scheduled to return to Hawaii in early November to continue his investigation into corruption and abuse of power within the Honolulu Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, potentially including the office of Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro.
Will all the city agencies continue to look the other way as the investigation spreads? It’s time to start thinking through what proactive steps would be appropriate at each level of authority.
At the same time, we really need to recognize Alexander Silvert, the federal defender who not only did his job in defending Katherine Kealoha’s uncle against charges that he stole the chief’s mailbox, but gathered and later shared enough evidence to kick start the federal criminal probe into corruption in HPD. Silvert has been seen a lot on the news, but hasn’t really gotten the public credit he deserves for sticking his neck out and pressing for the case to go forward.
And what about Michael Wheat, the assistant U.S. Attorney from Los Angeles who has been directing the Grand Jury investigation. Wheat is reportedly on a “short list” of candidates for the vacant post of U.S. Attorney in San Diego (“Who has the inside track on being the next U.S. attorney in San Diego?“). Hopefully we’ll see someone publish a more complete profile of Wheat now that this case has crossed a key threshold.
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“. . . all looked the other way or hid behind the ongoing federal investigation to avoid having to deal with the situation.” Look what happened to the people who actually did do something — Chuck Totto, Letha DeCaires and the Honolulu Ethics Commission were all sued.
Very good point. Thank you.
You’re welcome.
Is Kealoha still the trustee of the guardianship trusts that she allegedly stole from, and if so, why hasn’t the court removed her and appointed a qualified financial guardian.
Very good questions.
What exactly were the Mayor, and the City Council to do?
My understanding is that neither the Mayor nor the Council have the power to remove the Police Chief from office, if that is what you think should have been done.
Were they supposed to lobby for the Police Commission to assume guilt and act to remove the Chief on allegations not acted on by any authority.
When the Chief was named as a suspect under investigation, he was removed from office by the Police Commission.
Please be more specific about what you would have had these “other agences” do that would not have obstructed the work of the federal investigation or exposed the City to a large figure defamation of character suit if the charges were not found to have sufficient evidence to pursue by the Federal prosecutor.
There is one person who is responsible for the rampant corruption in the HPD, and Prosecutor’s Office. And that is the prosecutor himself – Keith Kaneshiro.