by Andrew Walden, originally published August 13, 2017
If you’re rich, Hawaii is a really lousy place to get sick.
Just ask Abigail Kawananakoa.
In an article titled, “Heiress Kawananakoa's medical issues spark battle over $200M fortune,” Hawaii News Now, August 9, 2017 reports:
“We're told that the 63-year-old (Veronica Gail) Worth is a beneficiary of the Kawananakoa estate and receives about $700,000 a year from the heiress. Sources said she is seeking tens of millions from the trust. But her attorneys denied that.
"Some worry that any large payouts could undue Kawananakoa’s support of social and charitable causes for Native Hawaiians.
“She’s a big backer of Iolani Palace and a number of other Hawaiian movements such as the protests of the Thirty Meter Telescope at Mauna Kea.
"’She firmly believes as a royal that one of her duties is to take care of Native Hawaiian people,’ said former state Sen. Clayton Hee.…”
Who is Veronica Gail Worth?
Worth did not respond to a request for comment on this article, but some information is available through other sources. Worth's Twitter account reads, "Secretary, Princess Abigail K Kawananakoa." HNN describes Worth as “Kawananakoa’s partner of more than two decades.” Horse-related website Equibase.com reveals that Veronica Gail Worth owns quite a few winning Quarterhorses—a longstanding hobby of Kawananakoa’s. A 2014 article in OC Breeze indicates that Worth’s horses sometimes race Kawananakoa’s and they watch California horse races together from Hawaii.
Hawaii court records involving Veronica Gail Worth paint a different picture. Case #86-1270, a 1986 divorce action initiated by Worth to end a marriage to one Earl C K Harbin, includes four pages (pp 85-88) of medical bills from a well-known hospital in Trinidad, CO, and this tid-bit:
“…Also stipulated to the fact that Veronica did have a sex change operation and that she was born under the name of William and to Earl Harbin’s lack of knowledge of the operation prior to the marriage.” (pg 127)
According to the LGBT Legacy Foundation, Worth donated thousands of dollars to sponsor 83 flags for the 2016 Waikiki Gay Pride week.
Sex Drugs and Inequality
In 1986 Veronica and Earl Harbin were convicted in Case #1PC85-0-001575--two felony counts of First Degree theft—involving the fencing of stolen Sony Walkmans by undercover police officers seeking to arrest drug dealers.
In spite of being arrested together and charged with the same crimes, Earl and Veronica had very different outcomes. Court records indicate at the time of the divorce, Earl Harbin was in a federal prison in Boron, CA. Veronica Worth lived on tony Black Point Rd near Diamond Head and was employed full time as a “hostess” by Tomo Inc. Tomo Inc operated Honolulu ‘hostess bars’ under the names Club Tomo and Snack Aoyama. (pg 2 divorce records)
The criminal case file (pg 98) reveals a letter to Worth’s probation officer “to endorse the character of Veronica Gail Harbin” from none other than State Senator Milton Holt. Akamai readers will remember Holt as a meth addict employed by the Broken Trust-era Bishop Estate to influence politicians. Holt is known for running up huge bills at Honolulu hostess bars on his KSBE credit card.
And what did Holt write on Worth’s behalf?
“My endorsement is based on her personal background of which I am somewhat knowledgeable about. Having met her in Las Vegas three years ago Where she worked as a showgirl at the Tropicana Hotel, Mrs. Harbin impressed me as one of good character, with a strong desire to employ her dancing talents with top name entertainers. I was convinced that her sense of dedication, morality and good humor would someday take her to the top of her profession.”
On pg 43 of the case file, the prosecutor explains:
“…the defendant herself suggested in terms of payment to repay the (undercover) officer for Walkmans, not only in money but possibly for the exchange of drugs.
“As noted in his police report, your Honor, he pointed out that the defendant offered to pay either in cocaine or ludes.
“Furthermore, your Honor. the presentence report does indicate that she has had past usage of drugs as pointed out on page 8 of the presentence report, and that these actions occurred 'basically in Club Esquire and Hamburger Mary’s….’”
In a December, 1986, letter to Judge Greig of the First Circuit Court, Harbin/Worth pleads for a deferred acceptance, “so that I don’t have to tell employers that I have a felony record.” (pg 33)
A decade later, Worth began working for Kawananakoa.
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