The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported today on the DUI arrest of Jon Yoshimura, a former journalist who served on the Honolulu City Council as well as briefly in the state senate.

Police arrested the 60-year-old at 1:10 a.m. Thursday at or near 762 Kapiolani Blvd., the location of Yanagi Sushi.

He was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant and posted $500. An intoxicant can be either alcohol or drugs.

The news story brought a quick comment here from an anonymous source.

I am printing a slightly edited version of this anonymous comment although it is wholly unverified at this time, in the hopes that others will be able to definitely refute it or add supporting details.

I’ll repeat that for emphasis: The following is unverified. Treat it as fiction unless further information becomes available to confirm any of it.

Staradvertiser not reporting that Jon Yoshimura drunk driving arrest due to leaving illegal legislative opening session political party held regularly at the Pagoda Hotel penthouse of a prominent local businessman. [paragraph slightly edited to remove name]

The food, venue costs, alcohol, etc. are illegal and unreported in-kind contributions from lobbyists to Sen. president Kouchi, the Mayor, etc. and staffed by state dept. of transportation employees. These illegal parties and fundraisers are held during session and throughout the year and well known by capitol staff and lobbyists. Many fundraisers for local politicians there are done without filing notices to campaign spending commission so as not to report the illegal in-kind contributions of venue, food, alcohol, and secret political deals are made with lobbyists there.

I doubt that “lobbyists” generally would participate or fund such gatherings, especially if these gatherings are “well known by capitol staff and lobbyists.” Keeping that many secrets out of the news would be difficult.

On the other hand, early in my career I ran head-on into a similar well-known but unacknowledged lobbying machine centered in the State Judiciary, with court personnel and sheriff’s deputies preparing food and “volunteering” to staff fundraisers for legislators and other public officials. At that time in the mid-1980s, fear of retaliation had kept judiciary employees and capitol staffers silent for years.

That operation hid in plain sight for years, so I can’t dismiss this allegation out of hand, although I admit that it surprises me.

You might get a chuckle out of John Pritchett’s cartoon that appeared in Honolulu Weekly back in 2001.