GOVERNOR APPOINTS WESLEY FONG AND ROBERT HONG TO HAWAI‘I STATE ETHICS COMMISSION

News Release from Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission, May 23, 2022

Governor David Ige re-appointed Wesley Fong to a new four-year term on the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission, and appointed Dr. Robert Hong to fill a seat soon to be vacated by outgoing Commissioner Melinda Wood. These appointments are effective July 1, 2022. “It is a testament to the importance of ethics in the State of Hawai‘i that such qualified and reputable candidates are willing to serve and help ensure the highest standard of ethics for our state’s lawmakers, employees, and lobbyists,” said Robert D. Harris, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission.

Commissioner Wesley Fong, an attorney, is an adjunct professor teaching law and ethics at the University of Hawai‘i, Shidler Business School. Previously, he served as staff counsel for Firemen’s Fund Insurance Company; a former supervising deputy attorney general for the Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General; and as a former senior deputy corporation counsel for the City and County of Honolulu. He is also a Vietnam veteran and retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Hawai‘i. He is currently the vice-chair of the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission. 

Dr. Robert Hong is a practicing clinical cardiologist and a professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Dr. Hong completed his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1977 and received his doctorate in Medicine at the University of California – San Francisco in 1981. Among many professional accomplishments, Dr. Hong is notable for creating the first ACGME-certified postgraduate fellowship in cardiovascular disease in the State of Hawai‘i in 2010, and receiving the Peter C.P. Char Excellence in Education, Program Director’s Award in 2013 and 2016. After 35 years of practicing medicine and holding numerous medical administrative positions, he plans on retiring on July 1, 2022.

The Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission is responsible for administering and enforcing the state ethics code and the state lobbyist law. Commissioners are appointed by the Governor from nominations submitted by the Judicial Council and serve 4-year terms, without compensation. Commissioners may not hold any other public office. Commissioners must be U.S. Citizens and residents of the State of Hawai‘i. More information on the Ethics Commission and its work can be found at http://ethics.hawaii.gov or by following the Commission on Twitter @HawaiiEthics.

[PAU]