2015-05-13 Regular Session Minutes Board of Ethics

Home

respect, the Attorney General himself disagrees. He was quoted on page five (5a) of the April 7, 2015 West Hawai`i Today article by Nancy Cook-Lauer as saying quote "Chin said his office could conduct its investigations of criminal wrongdoing as the same time the Ethics Board and the County legislative auditor looked into administrative breaches". I would object in the strongest of terms if you were to delay this any further. I think you heard several citizens who testified previously that it's a cancer in our body politics. We really would like to get rid of it and I would also like to commend the three of you for not recusing yourself and agreeing to deal with this situation. Mr. Goodenow: Mr. Luke and Mr. De Lima would you on the issue of the ability of the Mayor to respond pending the other investigations. Would you, could you give us some more insight on that and on your position. Mr. Luke: I think the County of Maui does have such a rule that any administrative proceeding can be held in abeyance until the resolution of a criminal investigation by either the State of Hawai`i, Department of the Attorney General or by in the jurisdiction which I general practice in the City and County of Honolulu prosecutors office. The same would apply here, I think the absence of a rule the Hawai`i County does not necessarily mean that the Pro Se should be ongoing. With respect to what Mr. Chin has indicated. Very earlier on Mr. Chin said yes you know the Attorney General could conduct an investigation. I will tell you one is now under way. I'm not going to discuss what's happening with respect to that this morning. I think it's far outside the purview of them of this hearing. I ask that you recognize what is generally accepted throughout the State of Hawai`i that once a criminal investigation is under way. That doesn't mean that this entire proceeding be swept under the rug. We're not asking for that. We just ask that the observance of due process occur and that Mr. Kenoi be allowed to have the Attorney General's investigation run its course. If necessary, if there's any criminal proceedings that arise out of that investigation. That those also will be resolved prior to any decision made by the Board of Ethics of the County of Hawai`i. Mr. De Lima: Thank you. If you notice in the letter I submitted to the Board. I pointed out that the trust of my comments is that the initial review.