Why Ethics Reform Hasn’t Been A Bigger Issue In The Hawaii Governor’s Race 0 Even after recent convictions of government officials, the Republican and the Democratic gubernatorial nominees have few specific reform proposals.
You might think the stunning parade of criminal wrongdoing in state, city and county government in recent years would inspire a robust slate of reform proposals. But that hasn’t happened in the campaign for governor so far.
Consider: A former Honolulu police chief was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice along with his estranged wife, a former deputy city prosecutor. A former elected city prosecutor was indicted for conspiracy to commit fraud, and a Honolulu architect admitted to paying more than $100,000 in bribes to city permitting employees.
Two former state lawmakers pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to influence legislation. A former Kauai county councilman pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking in an enterprise linked to a prison gang, and a former Big Island county housing specialist admitted to accepting nearly $2 million in bribes. A former Big Island county council chairman and two-time candidate for mayor was sent to prison for embezzlement and bribery.
