I’m amazed that the still evolving federal corruption investigation here in Honolulu hasn’t gotten much attention from major media on the U.S. mainland. The probe, which initially focused on the former Honolulu police chief and his wife, a top deputy city prosecutor, has subsequently expanded to target Honolulu’s elected city prosecutor and the appointed corporation counsel, the city’s top civil attorney. Two other ranking deputy prosecutors have received “subject letters,” an indication they are being investigated for suspected violations of federal law.
It’s an investigation that is pretty dizzying in scope, especially since the public doesn’t really know where it is going next.
But Hawaii News Now reported the latest wrinkle last night. The station reported that two employees of the Honolulu City Prosecutors office say they have faced retaliation, including disciplinary action, after they were subpoenaed and testified before a federal grand jury investigating their boss, Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.
The allegations were spelled out in a blockbuster report yesterday by Hawaii News Now reporter Lynn Kawano (“Women say city prosecutor retaliated against them for testifying in corruption probe“).
One of the women, interviewed on camera for the story, said she was grilled about her grand jury testimony by a special assistant to Kaneshiro.
She said she had been questioned about a video from the office of a domestic violence safe house operated by the prosecutor’s office. The video appears to show someone shredding documents before the director of the program put a sheet of paper across the camera lens to block its view. Previous news reports have suggested that the purchase of the property by the prosecutor’s office might be one focus of the ongoing corruption investigation.
The HNN report suggests the alleged pressure on grand jury witnesses could potentially be seen as obstruction of justice or attempted witness tampering.
And the investigation appears to be actively ongoing.
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Kaneshiro is regarded in some circles as an enforcer and protector of the old guard Democratic Party or at least some faction thereof. If there is any truth to that observation, it certainly makes one wonder what sordid activities may have long gone “undetected,” and whether those days may now be over.
I do suspect that the feds see this as part of a broader investigation that could include some of the “old” and “new” guard. But having it unroll in slow motion like this makes for quite a ride.
Ian: do you recall a professional journalist association listing Hawaii as one of the ten most politically corrupt state? Wonder if we’re moving up in the rankings? Our government is a Third World banana republic.
Bluest of blue State Pride? Most corrupt State and are we still 11 largest American city? I can hear POTUS Hawaii special recognition mention.
We cannot even confirm votes cast by absentee mail balloting have been counted. Our Honolulu City Clerk certainly may be next target. As he has refused all public access requests to spot audit voter requests in districts outside of protest Council district or response on what year voting policy by time deadline was changed. Do know it was after City Clerk Genevieve Wong in the late 1990’s. So we may not even have basic voting rights of tenable representation. Way to go blue!