Missing Meth Money a Conflict of Interest for Bissen Appointee?
Appointed to the Maui Board of Water Supply by Mayor Bissen, Paele Kiakona appeared on the agenda of the Maui County Board of Ethics Wednesday, May 14, 2025, for follow up questions on his financial disclosures.
The vote was held in executive session, and the disclosures are confidential, but the one and only piece of written testimony is posted on the Ethics Board website.
Here it is verbatim:
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Dear Board of Ethics,
Paele Kiakona is unfit to serve in any position involving public trust. Please do your jobs and enforce the County Code.
Kiakona's Personal Interests Create a Conflict of Interest with Duties of the Board of Water Supply
Conflict of Interest-Family Property
Just last summer Paele Kiakona claimed that Planning Commission member Dale Thomson had a conflict of interest based on the fact that Thompson's family owned a short-term rental property.
Kiakona argued that Thompson was not permitted to participate in decision making regarding short-term rental legislation.
While campaigning for a position on the Board of Water Supply, Kiakona claimed that he was qualified for the position based on the fact that his family owns a property in Honokohau Valley that diverts water to grow taro.
Imagine if Dale Thompson had claimed that he was qualified to make decisions regarding short-term rental legislation while on the Planning Commission based on his family's ownership of a short-term vacation rental?
According to Maui County Code, "Conflict of interest means a real or seeming incompatibility between one's private interests and one's public or fiduciary duties." See§ 04-101-3.
Kiakona is unfit to make decisions regarding water use where his family has been diverting stream water diverting for over 20 years without a permit. Director Stufflebeam's recent report notes that any diversion of stream water requires a permit and clarifies that CWRM has not issued any
permits.
2025-05-08-Memo-to-Chair-Water-Source-Report
Kiakona uses Maui County Code as a sword to attack his opponents, while claiming the code does not apply to his own conflicts of interest.
The Board of Ethics should investigate the Kiakona family's historic and current water diversion and Kiakona' s fitness to serve on a board that involves decision making regarding water use.
Conflict of Interest- Lobbying Efforts for Lahaina Strong
Kiakona is a paid lobbyist for Our Hawaii Action, which actively lobbies Maui County to oppose tourism-related business. Kiakona' s comments to the County Council were that he would represent "the people that supported me." Kiakona has left no uncertainty that he does not intend to represent the interests of the entire community, a large portion of which is involved in the hospitality industry. Kiakona has demonstrated that he is divisive, unreasonable, and relies on propaganda to advance his pecuniary interests.
Financial Transparency
Kiakona claimed he only had $400 to his name in December of 2024 and that he earned just $1,200-$1,400 every two weeks.
See https://substack.com/home/post/p-156579560 to listen to Kiakona's own words on this topic.
The Board of Ethics is in the unique position to validate Kiakona's social media representations about his finances to his sworn financial disclosure.
Any discrepancies demonstrate a lack of integrity that disqualifies Kiakona from a position of trust such as serving on the Board of Water Supply.
Unaccounted for Meth Money
Paele Kiakona's father, Moses Kiakona, is a convicted drug trafficker for Mexican and Tongan cartels that caused immense damage to the Maui community by pumping crystal meth into the community for his own personal gain. Moses told authorities that he was slowing down his operation because he had already "made his millions." See Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
Yet, when authorities raided the Kiakona compound (yes the same compound that Paele lovingly talks about as his basis for water management experience), a mere $140,000 of cash was seized, along with 2 pounds of crystal meth and multiple firearms.
Where are the rest of the millions?
How does Paele live such a lavish life with his claimed $1,200..1,400 every two weeks?
Millions of dollars of unaccounted for meth money and now Moses' son is rapidly ascending to power without any legitimate experience or skills. Paele claims he is impoverished, yet is regularly seen at fine hotels, traveling abroad, wearing nice clothes. with designer sunglasses.
Here is Paele in Japan around the time that he claimed to have just $400 to his name:
The Honokohau compound was placed out of reach of the feds by conveying the property to ex-wife Nikki Kiakona who resides on the Big Island.
Paele Places Own Interests Above Community
Moses has a history of re-offending and violating parole when he is not in custody. After the fires, Moses petitioned for early release, claiming that his release was critical to care for his mother, Paele's grandmother.
Paele signed a declaration supporting his repeat criminal father's early release, stating:
In fact, due to my own commitments, I have been unable to take her to certain medical appointments, and feel I am neglecting her medical and personal needs."
Paele routinely makes dramatic statements such as "I would do anything for my community" and "I would die for my community." To submit a declaration, under oath, to a federal judge claiming that his dangerous, repeat offender, father needed to be released early because Paele couldn't make time to care for his own family, undermines everything Paele claims to stand for.
Moses demonstrated that he has never had the community's interest in mind. How could someone that trafficked crystal meth and sold that to community members credibly claim he cares about the community? According to the Department of Justice, "Methamphetamine, particularly
high purity crystal methamphetamine also known as ice, poses the greatest drug threat to Hawaii." Methamphetamine - Hawaii Drug Threat Assessment
By supporting the early release of his father, Paele placed his own selfish interest to avoid caring for his own family member, ahead of the community's interest to keep a violent criminal in custody.
What exactly was keeping Paele so busy with that he was unable to care for his own blood? Mostly posing for social media rants and producing propaganda videos.
Paele's repeated self-dealing raises serious concerns about his true intentions of taking a spot on the Board of Water supply based on his own family's interest in continuing to divert water without a permit.
Fundraising Deceit
For months, Paele led Lahaina Strong's fundraising efforts claiming that donations would go to community recovery and directly to fire survivors. Lahaina Strong was not transparent that donations actually went to Oahu-based political action committee, Our Hawaii, only to be paid back to Lahaina Strong leaders as lobbyists. Paele only admitted to receiving lobbyist compensation from donations after being called out by citizen journalists. Even then, Lahaina Strong was never been transparent about use of the donations or the total amounts filtered back to the Lahaina Strong leaders.
Paele admits that Mark "Kaniela" Ing taught him the game, so that should be highly concerning given Ing's checkered past with personal use of campaign funds and falsifying records. Ing now travels the world on lavish vacations, with no apparent employment other than his "organizing" efforts. lng now indoctrinated the next generation with the skills and knowledge to grift the movement and the good intentions of those that think these organizations are helping people.
See Dripping Faucet Turns to Fire Hose as Lahaina Strong Leaders Register Again as Our Hawaii Lobbyists and Continue the Grift Amid Eroding Community Support
Lack of Action of Board of Ethics
This author expects no action by the Board of Ethics which is controlled by the county council and mayor. The BOE has failed to investigate numerous conflicts of interests by elected officials.
Thus, I expect the BOE will find a reason to not investigate any aspect of Paele Kiakona, allowing him to use this position to self-deal at the cost of the community.
Signed
Anonymous
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BACKGROUND:
2025: PHOTOS: 'Lahaina Strong' Leaders Show Off Luxe European and Asian Vacations
2024: Meet the Meth Gang Behind ‘Lahaina Strong’
2024: Maui County to (attempt to) Outlaw 'Minatoya List' Condotels
2023: VIDEO: Bissen open to Seizing Condotels Which Compete with Full-Service ILWU-Controlled Hotels
2023: For ‘Progressive’ Criminal Kaniela Ing Lahaina Fires are Just Another Grift
2023: Green New Deal: Kaniela Ing Pleads No Contest--Campaign Spending Violations Again
2007: University of Hawaii Study: Native Hawaiians Fear Sovereignty Activist Violence