Caldwell Attempts to Distract Public on His Lack of Ethics.

News Release from www.Djou.com, August 1, 2016

Honolulu, HI - The Djou for Mayor campaign released the following statement today on the first day of walk-in voting for the Primary Election:

"Kirk Caldwell complains about one phone call left at a phone number provided to us by a Hawaii resident in what appears to be an effort to distract from his own lack of ethics and judgment. 

"While serving as mayor, Caldwell collects not only a $164,928 annual pay check from taxpayers but continues to 'work' a second job at a bank collecting an additional $200,000 per year.  Furthermore, the Caldwell administration pressured the City Ethics Director to resign when the Ethics Director started asking the 'wrong questions' about Caldwell's political fundraising practices.

"In addition, Caldwell's City Press Secretary appears to regularly engage in campaign activity on City time by appearing at Djou campaign events during City work hours.  Caldwell should direct City employees to cease campaigning during City work hours on the City taxpayers' dime as, in contrast with one inadvertent phone call, this is a serious ethical violation," stated Jon Kunimura, press secretary for Djou for Mayor.

Charles Djou, his wife and supporters cast walk-in absentee votes today at Honolulu Hale to restore trust at City Hall.

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Charles Djou represented Hawaii's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House and previously served on the Honolulu City Council and Hawaii State House.  Djou is an Army Reservist and Afghanistan war veteran.  He is married to Stacey Kawasaki Djou and together they have three children.

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Caldwell Boots Ethics Out the Door

SA: Former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou and former Mayor Peter Carlisle ganged up on Mayor Kirk Caldwell at a live mayoral candidate forum Monday night, accusing him of engineering the resignation of longtime Ethics Commission Executive Director Chuck Totto.

Caldwell denied the charge flatly during the live forum on Insights on PBS Hawaii broadcast. The fiery exchange over the city ethics occurred just after the hour-long portion of the forum that was broadcast live over television ended, and during an extra seven minutes available only on pbshawaii.org.

Asked by moderator Daryl Huff about what issue has not received enough attention this election, Djou said “how the city Ethics Commission has been completely railroaded.”

Totto, shortly after Caldwell took office, “started asking the wrong questions” by delving into a luau sponsored by the mayor’s supporters, Djou said. It was “disturbing” that Totto resigned under pressure from Caldwell and his appointees. “I didn’t always agree with (Totto),” he said, recalling his time on the City Council. “But I thought he was good, hard-working, dedicated public servant.”

Totto had no problems during three previous administrations “and when Kirk became mayor, he had all this turbulence,” Djou said, adding that he would work to have Totto reinstated….

Carlisle, who has been Totto’s attorney during his clashes with members of the seven-member commission, said “absolutely and unequivocally there has been a complete evisceration of ethics in the City and County of Honolulu. It’s been booted out the door. There is no Ethics Commission right now that’s having any affect on anything.”

Caldwell’s three commission appointees, all retired judges, have been doing his bidding, Carlisle suggested. “We need somebody like Totto, someone with integrity, to be able to move forward.”

read … Mayoral candidates spar over Ethics Commission