by Andrew Walden

One of the nation’s leading 911 conspiracy theorists has been nominated to serve on the Maui County Charter Commission—and a Council Committee voted 7-2 to accept the nomination.

Appointed by former Council Chair Kelly King, Paul Deslauriers would be one of eleven Charter Commission members who “can propose an entirely new county charter, propose piecemeal charter amendments or maintain the status quo.”

Deslauriers, formerly of Massachusetts, is Chair and Treasurer of the Maui Pono PAC which backed King and several other councilmembers.

Two of the eleven Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor, the other nine by the Council.  The Council Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee on February 9, 2021, approved eight nominees without any opposition and one nominee by a 7-2 vote—with Mike Molina voting “with reservations.”  According to the Maui News:

Deslauriers was the only nominee with two votes of opposition on Tuesday — from Sugimura and Council Member Tasha Kama, who both questioned Deslauriers’ background after written testimony to the committee cited a 2007 newspaper article showing a photo of Deslauriers as part of the 9/11 Truth movement, which believes that attacks on the World Trade Center were orchestrated by one or more government agencies.

Sugimura, who said she had a friend who died in the attacks, asked Deslauriers if he believed in the 9/11 theory.

“At the time I believed it,” Deslauriers said.

“It was something as a concerned citizen I got involved in.”

Deslauriers said that he joined “an organization” from 2004 to 2007 as a way to give the community a voice and said it “may not been in alignment” with others but “it was just questioning.” He added that he was “no longer involved in any way.”

Wrong. 

Deslauriers is currently selling self-published 911 truther books online.  And his most recent “truther” tome --354 pages—was self-published from Maui in 2017.

Deslauriers wasn’t just a random “concerned citizen”--he was appointed to the National Steering Committee of 911truth.org, according to the group’s July 18, 2007 newsletter. 

Deslauriers wrote two books on 911 conspiracy theories, the first, “Bearer of Light: A Catalyst for Global Change”, 408 pages long, was self-published Dec 6, 2007 and the second, “Liberate: The Empowering Guide to Grassroots System Change” was self-published November 4, 2017 by NRG Publishing, POB 606, Makawoa (sic), HI – the same address Deslauriers uses for the Maui Pono Network.

According to his 2017 book (pg 29), Deslauriers’ “other” community organizing effort, Community Re-Start, “began in 2008 with 40 members of the previous 911 Truth group in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts.”  Deslauriers was eventually kicked out of his own group amid accusations of theft and failure to file 501c3 paperwork.  A 2016 email from a Pittsfield, Massachusetts pastor is a fun read.   

The only Amazon reviewer of Deslauriers’ 2017 book complains, “If I had known it included false flag and truther content, I would not have bought this book.”

Deslauriers told the Council Committee:    

“I do have concerns about the federal government,” he said. “That is why I think county governance is so important.”

In other words, his 911 trutherism is the reason he wants to be on the Charter Commission. 

Deslauriers did not reply to a Hawai’i Free Press request for comment.

The Council Committee of the Whole will vote on the nominees February 19, 2021. 

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Total Coincidence: Sen. Gary Hooser campaign website linked to Holocaust deniers

Bonus Read:  9/11 Truthers Meet the Birth Certificate Brigade