Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro is on leave pending the outcome of the federal corruption investigation now apparently focusing on his office, while also facing an election next year.

Kaneshiro was elected in 2012 with 52.6% of the vote, and reelected in 2016 with 69.0% over only token opposition.

But the broad federal probe that has already snared one of Kaneshiro’s top deputies, Katherine Kealoha, and her husband, former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, now threatens Kaneshiro’s political future.

At least two viable candidates have already anounced their intentions to run for the seat, and another challenger is said to be seriously considering the race.

Honolulu attorney Robert J. Brown was the first to jump into the race, which gives his campaign a headstart. On March 18, 2019, Brown filed an “organizational report” required by the Campaign Spending Commission once a candidate or their campaign committee “receives contributions or makes or incurs expenditures of more than $100 in the aggregate during the applicable election period.”

Brown’s organizational report was subsequently amended several times, most recently on July 26, 2019. His campaign committee, RJ Brown for Prosecutor, lists Samuel W. King II as chairperson, and Chris Chwastyk as deputy chairperson. The campaign reports its treasurer is Jeff Stearns, assisted by Cheuk Fu Lui and Charles Fasi II.

Chwastyk’s LinkedIn page describes him as a former campaign consultant, Congressional chief of staff, and lobbyist, and is managing partner of Guidance Partners LLC in Honolulu.

Brown is a graduate of Punahou School, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law. He briefly worked as a reporter for Civil Beat before going to law school. He previously was a trial lawyer with the Honolulu prosecutor’s office, is an associate with the Honolulu law firm of Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher.

Brown’s campaign held a fundraiser at the Pacific Club on May 22, 2019 which brought in $26,871.46, according to the most recent report filed with the Campaign Spending Commission.

Just this week, attorney Megan Kau announced her bid for the prosecutor’s job. Campaign Spending Commission records show Friends of Megan Kau filed an organizational report which lists former prosecutor and Honolulu mayor Peter Carlisle as campaign chair. No other information was listed as of this morning, and the commission’s website does not yet indicate when Kau’s organizational report was filed.

Kau made news this year when she alleged former Honolulu Police Sergeant Albert Lee was targeted for retaliation by Katherine Kealoha, who at the time headed the prosecutor’s career criminal division, after he was called to testify before the federal grand jury investigating the Kealohas and others.

Kau, who was defending Lee against charges of driving under the influence and making a false police report, said Kealoha and another Roger Lau, a special assistant to Keith Kaneshiro and deputy chair of Kaneshiro’s campaign committee, both pressured Lee or complained to HPD about his behavior after Lee cited, and later took part in the arrest of Honolulu businessman Mike Miske (see “Attorney alleges prosecutors retaliated against HPD officer for businessman’s arrest“).

Coincidentally, Hawaii News Now reported another alleged incident of retaliation by Roger Lau and the prosecutor’s office following testimony before the same federal grand jury by another staffer.

According to HNN:

The allegation comes from an employee at the office who says the administration made a false police report to get back at her. The woman works as an investigator for the city Prosecutor’s Office.

She has testified three times before the federal grand jury that is hearing evidence against her embattled boss, Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.

And in February, Kaneshiro’s special assistant ? Roger Lau ? called police to claim employees heard the woman threaten to get a gun and shoot the administration.

A search of Campaign Spending Commission data going back to 2008 show neither Kau nor Brown have previously contributed to any state or county political campaigns in Hawaii.

Also said to be considering entering the race is retired Circuit Court Judge Steven Alm, who also served as U.S. Attorney in Hawaii for six years beginning in 1994 before being sworn in as a judge in 2001. Given his high visibility over a number of years, Alm would likely be among the top contenders.

A Honolulu Star-Bulletin story at the time of his swearing in as a judge noted that while serving as U.S. Attorney, his office prosecuted a number of high profile cases, including bringing “charges against ex-legislators Danny Kihano and Milton
Holt, Council member Andy Mirikitani, UPW leader Gary Rodrigues, drug kingpin Frank Moon and comedian Mel Cabang.”

As a judge, Alm developed and advocated for HOPE Probation, touted as an innovative and award-winning program aimed at reducing recidivism.

According to the Judiciary website: “This high-intensity supervision program, called HOPE Probation (Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement), is the first and only of its kind in the nation. Probationers in HOPE Probation receive swift, predictable, and immediate sanctions – typically resulting in several days in jail – for each detected violation, such as detected drug use or missed appointments with a probation officer.

After retiring in 2016, Alm moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he sought to expand the use of the HOPE model.

Alm owns a house on Maunalani Heights which he inherited from his parents, but has not claimed it as his residence for years. Real property records show the tax bill is sent to a residence address in Bethesda, Maryland. Alm has, however, has maintained his law license on “active” status in Hawaii.

Alm has not yet filed an organizational report with the campaign spending commission, although that does not necessarily indicate he has not been actively seeking support for a potential campaign.