Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Hawaii earns ‘D’ for judicial financial disclosure
By News Release @ 5:13 PM :: 4504 Views :: Ethics, Judiciary

Hawaii earns ‘D’ for judicial financial disclosure

by Chris Zubak-Skees, Center for Public Integrity

The Center for Public Integrity evaluated the disclosure rules for judges in the highest state courts nationwide. The level of disclosurein the 50 states and the District of Columbia was poor, with 43 receiving failing grades, making it difficult for the public to identify potential conflicts of interest on the bench. Despite the lack of information in the public records, the Center’s investigation found nearly three dozen conflicts, questionable gifts and entanglements among top judges around the country. Here’s what the Center found in Hawaii:

how it ranks: D

total score: 62/100

Strengths:

Despite receiving a “D”, Hawaii’s financial disclosure law ranks as sixth best out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The state earned full credit in the accessibility category because it posts financial disclosure records online. Hawaii judges must also report household income beyond their judicial salaries. The state has strong gift-disclosure requirements, as well. In addition to reporting the source of gifts, judges must describe each gift and estimate its value.

Weaknesses:

While the Aloha State requires judges to report their income, they need to do so only in broad dollar ranges, rather than exact amounts. Additionally, judges in Hawaii aren’t required to report reimbursements for travel or other expenses.

Highlights:

Hawaii, unlike most other states, requires judges to report investment transactions. As part of the requirement, judges must disclose the date when they transferred ownership of the investment, as well as the value of the transfer. Hawaii’s disclosure forms also include a section in which judges report the amount of hours they spent attending state-approved judicial education courses.

Read the 2012 reports

How Hawaii scored

Source: Center for Public Integrity analysis of state records, laws. See methodology for details.

How did this state compare? See the full map.

 

 

SA: Isles earn D for laws governing justices' financial disclosure -- Despite that, Hawaii is among the best in the Center for Public Integrity study

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT