VIDEO: Tulsi's New Age Guru and the Source of Her Mysterious Wealth
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Hawaii Gun Ban Bills Scheduled for Public Hearings this Thursday
2024 Homeless Report showed many underutilized housing programs
Wheat Retires, Corruption Investigations Over: Its Party Time Again -- Sweet Deal for Former city officials Guilty in police chief payoff conspiracy
HNN: … The last major city public corruption case in Honolulu is coming to end with plea agreements for three city officials involved in the $250,000 payoff to disgraced police chief Louis Kealoha…. as they arrived at court Monday, they were all smiles….
TRANSLATION: “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”
Under their deals, Leong and Sword will plead guilty to misdemeanor conspiracy to deprive rights under law and pay $100,000 in restitution each and be supervised for one year, under terms similar to probation.
Amemiya’s charge will be dismissed, with no conviction or admission of guilt, if he completes two years of supervision, 200 hours of community service and pays $50,000 in restitution…
(TRANSLATION: The feds are done here. Start scheming again.)
After some questions about the unusual deal, Judge Leslie Kobayashi said, “Now that I understand, I am willing to accept the sentencing agreement agreed to by the parties.”
Although many details were revealed in the usual status conference, because the case is not complete, no one involved would comment or explain the deals beyond what was said in court….
A federal prosecutor from San Diego, Michael Wheat, took the case, and won convictions of the Kealohas and some co-conspirators. Wheat then tried and failed to convict city prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro for bribery, and pursued the Kealoha payoff case.
Wheat retired in December. Although his last case is ending with just misdemeanor charges. Silvert appreciates Wheat’s impact on Hawaii.
(Why did Wheat Retire? A Picture is worth 1,000 words: Interview with Kaneshiro jury foreman Shane Keli’i Kai Paleka.)
(TRANSLATION: The feds are done here. It’ll be 10 years before they think about coming back. Time your schemes accordingly.)
“It’s because of what he did that there’s all these prosecutions for bribery and fraud in this state, and that the legislature is looking at increasing state laws and their own ethics,” Silvert said.
This case here will end on March 4, when the judge is expected to formally accept the plea agreements….
(Why did Wheat Retire? A Picture is worth 1,000 words: Interview with Kaneshiro jury foreman Shane Keli’i Kai Paleka. Tough IQ Test: Look at the picture. Do you get the message?)
read … Former city officials to plead guilty in police chief payoff conspiracy
Senate panel advances Tulsi Gabbard nomination for DNI after Trump, Musk Flip Votes
TH: … The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday advanced Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to become the next director of national intelligence (DNI), putting her in position to get confirmed by the full chamber after key senators threw their support behind her.
(TRANSLATION: His means Gabbard has the votes to pass the full Senate.)
The 9-8 vote was along party lines. It puts Gabbard only days away from being considered on the Senate floor after a roller-coaster process….
The vote took place only hours after Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), a key GOP swing vote, announced that he would support her. (Musk flipped him.)
During Thursday’s confirmation hearing, the Indiana Republican was visibly frustrated after Gabbard refused to call Edward Snowden, the former contractor-turned-leaker who fled the U.S., a traitor on multiple occasions….
But on Tuesday Young said he secured a number of commitments from Gabbard regarding deterring Snowden-like whistleblowers, not pardoning Snowden and working to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act….
(Until she flip-flops again.)
Gabbard had secured another big win on Monday as Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said that she would back her in the committee vote. (Trump flipped her.)
Collins and Young had been seen as pivotal votes in committee, and winning over the pair likely also greases the skids for the former congresswoman on the Senate floor, where she can only afford to lose three Republicans. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is considered a likely “no” vote, while Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) indicated following the hearing that he had more “questions” about her confirmation.
The Gabbard move also comes about a week and a half after senators confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who lost three votes on the floor but got the greenlight thanks to a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Vance….
read … Senate panel advances Tulsi Gabbard nomination for DNI
SB534: OHA’s Crooked Kakaako Deal
CB: … The proposal, in the form of Senate Bill 534, cleared its first round of committee hearings on Monday. It still faces more hearings and must pass a vote by the full Senate before going to the House for consideration, where Kakaʻako Makai bills in the past have died.
But times have changed. Former House Speaker Scott Saiki, a powerful opponent to previous iterations of OHA’s plans, lost his reelection campaign in November. Kahele, a former state senator and U.S. congressman, has made developing Kakaʻako Makai one of his top priorities and plans to lean on his relationships in the Legislature. …
Craig Nakamoto, director of the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, thinks more community input is needed before OHA pursues any option. Outreach efforts, anticipated to cost $1 million, are set to begin later this year….
The proposal, in the form of Senate Bill 534, cleared its first round of committee hearings on Monday. It still faces more hearings and must pass a vote by the full Senate before going to the House for consideration, where Kakaʻako Makai bills in the past have died.
But times have changed. Former House Speaker Scott Saiki, a powerful opponent to previous iterations of OHA’s plans, lost his reelection campaign in November. Kahele, a former state senator and U.S. congressman, has made developing Kakaʻako Makai one of his top priorities and plans to lean on his relationships in the Legislature.
OHA owns about 30 acres in the Kakaʻako area. If OHA is successful, two of its parcels would be transformed into two 40-story workforce (crony insider) housing towers along Ala Moana Boulevard. A hotel would go on land next to the Children’s Discovery Center, while market-rate units are planned for the area along the harbor’s waterfront near the site of the old Fisherman’s Wharf.
Any of OHA’s development options would need to win approval from the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, a state agency in charge of most large construction projects in Kakaʻako and several other areas of the state.
Craig Nakamoto, director of the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, thinks more community input is needed before OHA pursues any option. Outreach efforts, anticipated to cost $1 million, are set to begin later this year.
Nakamoto’s office also has flagged hazards. Parts of Kakaʻako Makai are built over an old municipal landfill, and the soil likely contains lead, arsenic, mercury and other contaminants. And the development site is in a flood zone.
Kahele acknowledged that OHA would likely need to truck out contaminated soil, and it would have to comply with Federal Aviation Administration restrictions because of the site’s proximity to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
But Kahele balked at the idea of another round of community meetings. “More conversations, more community planning meetings are going to put us in the same place as now,” he told lawmakers….
Under the latest draft of the bill, housing units would be held at affordable rates in perpetuity. Lawmakers also inserted provisions that would allow OHA to develop more units on its lots than would typically be permitted on similar properties across Oʻahu, and to collect an association fee to fund improvements in the area and programs for its Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
In the past, Kakaʻako Makai bills were virtually dead on arrival in the House under Saiki, the former speaker who represented Kakaʻako. Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto, the new representative for the area, said she (he) isn’t necessarily opposed but wants to hear more from area residents before deciding if she’ll vote to lift the ban.
“It’s not my place to tell OHA how to do anything,” she said ….
(TRANSLATION: You gave up your $1M ocean view to sign on to the transsexual revolution.)
REALITY: OHA’s new Kakaako housing scam: Give 500 ‘Affordable’ Units to Political Insiders
Fun Reads: Robert Iwamoto trust sued over Maui Ponzi scheme and Kimura Gets 20 Years in Maui Ponzi Scheme
read … Is 2025 Last Chance For OHA's Big Development Plans At Kakaʻako Makai? - Honolulu Civil Beat
Council members question effectiveness of homeless-related grants
HTH: … The county’s Office of Housing and Community Development awarded 15 grants totalling $10.1 million to nine organizations through its Homelessness and Housing Fund, which was established in 2022. But after years of grants, some council members asked what has been the return on the county’s investment.
Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas said some programs funded through the grants this year spend up to 90% of their awarded funds on employee salaries. She pointed to the four grants awarded to nonprofit Neighborhood Place of Puna — which totaled more than $3 million — and noted that between 82% and 90% of each grant “goes to paying the people running the program.”….
“We’ve thrown … two years, $16 million at homeless, housing-based services, and I drove around Hilo today and asked, what have we accomplished?” said Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder. “I don’t know that I could spot the difference….
Villegas said that some projects, such as Neighborhood Place of Puna’s Coordination Center — which helps connect homeless people with services and received a $782,000 grant this year — merely end up bouncing homeless people between various providers without actually helping them.
“I just don’t think spending ($782,000) for 2,300 phone calls is an effective use of money,” Villegas said. “People are on the street. They need help. I want to see more beds, I want to see more shelters, I want to see more action, not more data collection.”…
The council voted 6-3 to award the grants, with Villegas, Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder and Council Chair Holeka Inaba voting against….
As Explained: Thielen: Homelessness is a Money-Spinner, Creates Thousands of ‘Positions’ in Hawaii
read … Council members question effectiveness of homeless-related grants - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
As Usual, Penalty Reduced in Arbitration For HPD Officers
CB: … The Legislative report lists names and short summaries of 53 officers disciplined for incidents dating back to 2017. Twenty-two of those officers were disciplined last year.
Officers were penalized for a range of issues including failing to activate their body-worn cameras, drunk driving, falsifying police reports and stealing a wallet. Many of the disciplinary actions were pending or in arbitration.
When officers are fired, they can appeal their termination and go through a grievance process that is decided by an arbitrator. If the decision is made to reduce their penalty, the officer can be reinstated. Twelve officers had pending discharges stemming from incidents dating back to 2020, and five had discharges that were finalized last year.
One of the officers in the process of being fired is Mariah Ah Tou, who was arrested for drunk driving while off duty in September 2023, according to Hawaii News Now. Ah Tou hit another vehicle and a street sign, according to police.
Her criminal case was dismissed in June after her attorney argued it was taking too long to schedule a trial, but prosecutors refiled charges the following day.
A bench trial is scheduled for Feb. 18. Her attorney, Alen Kaneshiro, did not respond to a call and email seeking comment.
Cornell Munalem, another officer given a discharge notice last year, was accused of failing to keep his body-worn camera on while investigating a car crash. He also falsified police reports and failed to process and secure the crime scene, according to the report. His discharge is pending.
Four other officers were accused of failing to activate their body-worn cameras, including three who face felony charges for their role in a 2021 vehicle pursuit in Mākaha that resulted in the car’s six occupants being injured.
The officers are accused of pursuing a Honda Civic at speeds in excess of 100 mph and ramming the vehicle until it crashed. The officers then fled, regrouped in another location and returned to the scene pretending not to know what happened, according to prosecutors….
FLASHBACK: Secret Arbitration Revealed: How DPS Official Kept Crooked Cop On The Job After FBI Raid
read … Penalty Reduced For HPD Officers Accused Of Assaulting Prisoner - Honolulu Civil Beat
Ethics Bills on the Move (for now)
CB: … Bill packages requested by the state Ethics Commission, Elections Commission and Campaign Spending Commission — including prohibiting contributions to state elected officials while they’re in session and funding for more investigators — are being heard and largely approved, at least by one chamber or the other.
Even a couple of constitutional amendments that would ultimately need to go to the ballot for approval by voters are getting a legislative thumb’s up (so far): increasing the mandatory retirement age for judges to 75, fixing an issue with blank votes and overvotes in Hawaiʻi’s elections, and an end run around Citizens United by declaring that in Hawaiʻi free speech shouldn’t necessarily mean huge campaign contributions.
Coming up this week, lawmakers are scheduled to take up more bills related to the public financing of campaigns and a serious effort by Rep. Tarnas to curb one aspect of pay-to-play politics by better tracking contractors and grantees who are getting state funding and restricting the money they have been funneling to elected officials. (That’s at 2 p.m. Wednesday in House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.)
Lawmakers also seem interested in changing the law regarding asset forfeiture to make sure authorities only seize property in criminal cases where someone has been actually convicted, and convicted of a felony. Bills making it clear that the public has the right to record law enforcement officers also are moving forward.
The House Republican caucus’s Stand Your Ground proposal has yet to be scheduled for a hearing….
He’s giving some air to Senate President Ron Kouchi’s version of a proposal by House Speaker Nadine Nakamura to create a task force to study how the session could be extended over 12 months (now it’s 60 session days spread over about four months). Senate Bill 1514 gets a hearing Friday at 9:25 a.m. before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Nakamura’s House Bill 1425 is set to go Wednesday at 2 p.m. before the House Legislative Management Committee….
Rumors have been swirling for some time that former House Speaker Scott Saiki is favored by Gov. Josh Green to be Hawaiʻi’s insurance commissioner. In fact, Saiki now has a job at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Division, but not the top spot. Yet.
On Monday, the agency announced that Gordon Ito is retiring from the insurance division after 31 years including 10 total as commissioner. Jerry Bump, who joined the division in 2008, has been named acting director….
read … The Sunshine Blog: How Much Is A Governor Worth? A Mayor? A Judge? - Honolulu Civil Beat
Multifaceted writer Cliff Slater dies at 91
SA: … Cliff Slater — businessman, newspaper columnist, author, photographer and community activist most visible in recent years for his steadfast opposition to Oahu’s controversial $10 billion rail project — died Jan. 20, with his wife and children beside him, at his home in Honolulu. He was 91.
Honolulu attorney Randall “Randy” Roth, professor emeritus of law at the University of Hawaii and one of Slater’s closest colleagues in questioning the financial projections that were made to sell voters on rail, remembered him as an author and scholar on the history of transit.
“Cliff and I formed a close friendship long before he got me involved in opposing heavy rail on Oahu,” Roth said. “He was probably the best-read person I’ve ever met. That — combined with an exceptionally open mind and wonderfully dry English wit — made every conversation with Cliff both interesting and delightful. Our discussions always included whatever books we were reading at the time.”
“Cliff authored scholarly articles and a book, ‘Transit,’ about the history of transit in America. These articles did not focus on the Oahu rail fiasco. Instead, they traced the history of transit in ways that let readers decide what they thought made sense and what did not.” ….
read … Multifaceted writer Cliff Slater dies at 91 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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