Another Questionable Million-Dollar Honolulu Rail Contract? … Documents suggest a contract for federal lobbying services was already a done deal before it was put out to bid.
Former Hawaii Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa wasn’t the only person officials from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation wanted to hire to help it secure more money for the city’s beleaguered rail project.
They also wanted Denis Dwyer, a Washington, D.C., lobbyist who’s worked on rail since at least 2005.
Internal emails and other procurement records obtained by Civil Beat under a public records request show that top HART officials, including Board Chairman Toby Martyn and Executive Director Lori Kahikina, planned to hire both Hanabusa and Dwyer even before they began a required competitive bidding process.
