The following message was obtained by Hawaii Republican Assembly (HIRA)
and sent out in a mass email Saturday, March 19.  We have confirmed its authenticity with the author.

Troubling situation

Email from Rep Bob McDermott to Hawaii Republican Party leaders, Wed, Mar 16, 2016 

I want to alert you to the fact that I believe Beth Fukumoto is going to leave the party most likely after her reelection but I would not be surprised if sooner. 

Why do I say this? Well Beth and I have had a decent relationship since she became leader, we have had frank private discussions to air our differences. We called it "mutually assured destruction."

Despite what she did to Tupola and Ward, I maintained a cordial relationship, I expressed my "disappointment" with each of those moves because they made no sense and seemed to be personal grievances that opened old wounds. But nevertheless. I trudged on. She helped me organize the Wiles Lee letter to the NRA; we were working together to a degree.

Last Friday, we had a nice chat in my office. I asked to see her after reading her comments about the Republican base being "Racist and Sexist." I shared with her that this kind of talk makes it harder for big fat guys like me, and hurts the Party in general. I said it is HIRA like but from the left. I also noted that she attacked some of her caucus members who voted no (since I vote no more than anyone I guess that was me) She APOLOGIZED, we were good.

I explained to her, that you Beth, are the top elected Republican in the State. Your utterances are viewed in that light. you are not a individual anymore. that is the trade-off in leadership.  She was cool.

We discussed the broader issue of how she has led Feki, Cheape, and Thielen, down compromise alley. The no longer speak on the house floor They made a conscious decision to trade their role as loyal opposition for the movement of legislation (they all have bills moving) and CIP (Feki is getting 1 million). They made a deal with the devil. They are like 4 mutes out there.

I shared with her that this is very troubling and the burden on me, Gene, and Andria, gets heavy to do this "Checks and balances stuff" all by ourselves. However. they can do what they want. I said to Beth, this can not go on, and we will make a change next year, assuming we are all back. I further said, word on \he street is that if she looses leadership she shall switch parties; she said. I can NOT promise I will not switch.

MONDAY

I was fighting for Campbell HS, beating the Shit out the Democrats for building a HS in Maui where it is NOT needed, The truth and data are on my side.

It is a payoff to Roz Baker. I have attached an enrollment chart that shows in 3 years, Campbell will have 3,500 students!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yet we build a school where they are losing children and enrollment is going down.

I ran out of time and Beth told the 3 stooges NOT to yield me any time as the Democrats were getting mad. Ward and Tupola had no time left. I stood naked, while my fellow Republicans turned their back on me -unprovoked. It was THEN I called recess and instructed them using Marine Corps adverbs "to do their Blanking jobs!!!!"

WEDNESDAY

Again, I hammered the 37 million CIP for Maui while Campbell gets left behind. Beth crossed the Rubicon today and spoke with pointed remarks that my comments were not appropriate given it was a budget debate. She went after me while I was fighting for my district and kids.  I was fit to be tied. Betrayal.

END GAME

She Is trying to provoke a situation that gives her an excuse to leave the Party. She has already departed in mind and spirit, it is just her body that is still occupying a Republican seat.  Make no mistake, this is not "liberal vs Conservative" as Beth's voting record is very, very close to mine on the issues.

No, this is wanting to be with the "cool kids" instead of hanging out With nerds like Me and Ward. This is wanting to be “relevant" to the power players in town.

Foolishly, she does not understand that the Truth and Principle, have a power all their own.

When she Rips, please do not blame me. She is smart, clever, conniving, and planning this out. she will blame Republicans. call us names. This is how it will play out. It has already started .....

With much Aloha,

Bob McDermott

  *   *   *   *   *

NOTE: Hawai’i Free Press asked both McDermott and Fukumoto-Chang for comment on this letter.  

McDermott responded with a statement which began: “It was a private message that I sent to several party elders. It was never meant for distribution or release; I did blind copy some of my friends, they may have circulated it and thus it has appeared in the HIRA message. Clearly, I am no friend of HIRA as I have been battling them in recent months.  That said, I stand by the contents of the letter, it is all true as anyone who watched this week's proceedings on the House Floor can attest too.” 

Fukumoto-Chang responded, but did not provide a statement.

UPDATE 8:45PM 03-20-2016:  Rep Fukumoto-Chang has now supplied the following response:

"Representative McDermott is misrepresenting both statements and events. His increasing hostility toward me, which was most recently displayed with profanity on the House floor, is disconcerting. This email is just another example of the vitriol coming from certain members of my party in this election cycle. The Republican Party and the Republican Caucus are better than this. For the record, I pulled papers as a Republican, and I intend to file those papers this week."

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• CB March 7, 2016: Beth Fukumoto on Donald Trump, ‘I told you so’
• NBC News March 7, 2016: "I personally feel the party has cultivated this base of people who like the anger and the vitriol that Donald Trump has, and they did it so they could win in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and now they're having a lot of trouble controlling it." – Beth Fukumoto
• Star-Adv March 15, 2016: Lawmaker lobs profanities at fellow Republicans