FORMER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SUES OHA FOR CORRUPTION COVERUP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawai`i News Now - January 27, 2021- By Rick Daysog

A former high-ranking Office of Hawaiian Affairs executive has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the organization. 

David Laeha, OHA’s former chief financial officer, alleged that former OHA CEO Kamanao Crabbe began to retaliate against him just months after he was hired in 2017 and eventually fired him in 2019. 

His suit alleged that he was fired because because he questioned why OHA was not properly reporting millions of dollars in expenditures to state lawmakers and to the public. 

What he found was that they were very sloppy, he found that they went out of their way to avoid the kind of transparency which was necessary,” said Eric Seitz, his attorney. 

“At every stage, he made complaints and criticisms to his superiors and much of the time they just ignored him until finally they fired him.” 

But in an interview with HNN, Crabbe said Laeha made similar allegations in a discrimination complaint that has since been dismissed. 

He called the suit “another attempt to seek unwarranted financial gains.” 

As CFO, Laeha served as the watchdog for OHA’s $350 million trust and its million of dollars in grants and scholarships. 

Laeha’s suit also alleges he was fired because he rejected grant applications that didn’t go out for competitive bidding like they were supposed to or when the grants were issued to an ineligible company or organization. 

These are some of the same practices that were heavily criticized in a state auditor’s report in 2018. 

Federal authorities are also investigating. 

“We have a long history with these kinds of agencies where people are very sloppy about how they administer funds that belong to other people and how they use their positions to benefit friends,” said Seitz. 

OHA declined comment.

OHA LLCS AGREE TO PROVIDE CHECK REGISTERS

Hawai`i Free Press - By Andrew Walden - July 7, 2019

The State of Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has agreed to fulfill a Hawai’i Free Press Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) request for the check registers of four of OHA’s seven known limited liability corporations (LLCs).


This is in addition to three other OHA LLCs covered by a court order.


In the wake of First Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Crabtree’s March 29, 2019 Minute Order directing OHA to comply with a UIPA request for three of its LLCs, Hawai’i Free Press submitted, May 20, 2019, a separate UIPA request for records of the other four. 


After six weeks of no response, in a July 2, 2019, letter to the State Office of Information Practices, OHA’s newly appointed interim CEO, Sylvia Hussey, finally acknowledges:

…the status of Hi'ilei Aloha LLC, Ho'okele Pono LLC, and Hi'ipaka LLC, as agencies for UIPA purposes, was…determined and finalized through the written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (FOFCOL) and Order of the Honorable Jeffrey P. Crabtree, filed on June 25, 2019….  Furthermore, the June 25th final FOFCOL and Order determined that Hi'ilei Aloha LLC, Ho'okele Pono LLC, and Hi'ipaka LLC, as a subsidiary of Hi'ilei Aloha LLC, are each an agency for UIPA purposes of HRS §92F-3. To this end, the court set a 30-day deadline for the production of the check registers and tasked Hi'ilei Aloha LLC, Ho'okele Pono LLC, and Hi'ipaka LLC--not OHA--with complying with the court's order.  Now that it is final, the court's ruling informed the application of the UIPA to the subsidiary LLCs covered by the instant Records Request-Ho'okipaipai LLC, Hi'ikualono LLC, Hi'ipoi LLC, and Ho'opakeu LLC….

This implies that Hussey does not intend to appeal Judge Crabtree’s decision.  


Initially, neither OHA nor the LLCs responded to the May 20, 2019, request.  Likewise they did not respond to a letter from the Office of Information Practices (OIP), June 12, 2019.  But a second OIP letter to OHA and the LLCs went out June 25, 2019—just as Judge Crabtree was issuing his Final Order.   


OHA’s response comes just two days after the departure of former OHA CEO Kamana’o Crabbe. 


After spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend an absurd theory that OHA LLCs were not part of the state government and therefore not subject to UIPA, the LLCs demanded pre-payment of $911.08 to cover the alleged cost of producing a copy of the four LLCs check registers “within 30 days upon receipt of payment.”  Implying that the records request is not in the public interest, Hi’ilei Aloha COO Mona Bernardino adds, “…we're not able to waive the $60 (public interest) fee….” 


The check is in the mail -- but it should be noted that these charges can dissuade many requesters from exercising their rights under UIPA.    


Records of the three LLCs covered by Judge Crabtree’s Final Order are due July 25, 2019 at no charge.

FELLOW TRUSTEES TARGET OHA TRUSTEE KELI`I AKINA FOR SUPPORTING FORENSIC AUDIT

Still More OHA Beneficiaries & Other Star-Advertiser Readers Praise For Keli`i Akina -
 
"OHA trustee Keli‘i Akina, who dares to make this mess-of-a-public-agency more open to the scrutiny it so rightly deserves. The board says: “Trustees should speak with one voice!” What they really mean is: “Don’t air our dirty laundry!”."


"About time an audit Is done."


"In this fight, I think Akina is definitely in the right, and the OHA trustees are again embarrassing themselves by failing to understand that the public has right to openness and accountability guaranteed by law and by the State Constitution...."


"Vote 'da other bums out. You go Keali'i. We're with you."


"Why would you contest an audit if you did nothing wrong!!!?"

FELLOW TRUSTEES TARGET OHA TRUSTEE KELI`I AKINA FOR SUPPORTING FORENSIC AUDIT

More OHA Beneficiaries & Other Star-Advertiser Readers Praise For Keli`i Akina -
 
"The imbecilic trustees are using the public money provided by all taxpayers as if it is their own private money. Akina is right to expose the fraud."


"The objective of the majority OHA Trustees is to run out the clock to complete the LLC's Audit. They are attempting to cover up potential criminal actions of a number of OHA employees and the Trustees. We must all support Mr. Akina over the rest of the OHA Board to complete OHA's Audit of the LLC's and other financial issues. The State Attorney General must get involved, if not already."


"Akina is right: OHA has much to hide. It is a foul organization that has done all too little for Hawaiians and this community. Remember that this is a public, state agency using public tax dollars. They are not a private entity and in fact are not a non-profit like the Red Cross or Iolani."

"Here we go again! Instead of promoting transparency and reform, OHA stifles any criticism and promotes infighting and cronyism. Tired of all the petty maneuvering by the trustees among themselves instead of responding to the needs of kanaka maoli."

"How can we trust these people with millions and millions of dollars when they won't even allow themselves to be audited?"

FELLOW TRUSTEES TARGET OHA TRUSTEE KELI`I AKINA FOR SUPPORTING FORENSIC AUDIT

Hereʻs What Just A Few OHA Beneficiaries & Other Star-Advertiser Readers Have To Say -
 
"Bravo to trustee Akina. His voice is badly needed and much appreciated ... except by fellow OHA trustees."


"I voted for him.......I hope he continues fighting the good fight....Imua"


"It would be nice if more Akinas were on the board."

"Akina has bravely stood up to the thugs and thieves. The Entire community owes him our thanks and appreciation."

"Transparency, transparency, transparency !!! It's about time a trustee stepped forward and took the initiative to let us, the public, know what's happening. OHA has been acting like its conceiver, the state legislature, in the way they do business...BEHIND CLOSED DOORS !!"

"Akina is the most honest trustee of them all. The others have something to hide by not wanting completion of the audit."

"OHA is a state agency. Is there such a thing as "code of conduct policy" for any state agency? There should always be check and balances especially when tax payers money are used. Every board member should have the right to speak out to avoid the level of transparency and accountability that is required by any state agency. Do they (the rest of the OHA board) have something to hide? Go for it Akina and weed out the crooked members."

UH-OH - JUDGE ORDERS OHA LLCʻS TO HAND OVER CHECK REGISTERS

By Andrew Walden - Hawai`i Free Press - June 26, 2019

In a June 25, 2019, “Finding of Fact and Conclusions of Law and Order Regarding Both”, Oahu First Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Crabtree has ruled that Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are subject to Hawai`i’s open records law known as UIPA and must within 30 days hand over "their check registers and income and expense statements."

Confirming an earlier March 29, 2019, ‘Minute Order,’ Judge Crabtree holds that the Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) are “agencies … owned, operated, and managed by OHA, a state entity….  (T)he requested documents are not exempt from disclosure….”

How much more beneficiary money will OHA insiders waste in this futile effort to keep their own secrets?

Judge Crabtree rules, “The Court will award (attorneys representing Applicant Walden) reasonable attorney fees and costs….”  He also points out, “If the Court had imposed the relief requested by (OHA’s LLCs), it is virtually certain we would be back in the same place within months-- the only difference being more attorneys' fees incurred by all, and more time spent by all with no demonstrable benefit.”

Represented by Honolulu attorney Michael Lilly, Hawai`i Free Press editor Andrew Walden, August 28, 2018, applied to the court for an order directing three of OHA’s seven LLCs to release their check registers.   

The LLCs were represented in court by Honolulu attorney Anna Elento-Sneed.  Sneed’s ES&A law firm has pulled down over $140K in legal fees from OHA starting soon after ES&A’s 2015 foundation.  Among her first acts—negotiating OHA CEO Kamanaopono Crabbe’s controversial employment contract signed in August, 2016, with then-Trustees Chair Robert Lindsey.  That factoid came out in a long rant by Crabbe recorded in minutes of the OHA BOT January 7, 2017 (p12).

Sneed’s legal strategy featured a 403 page ‘supplemental memo’ and unsuccessful attempts to force the recusal of Judge Crabtree and to block the filing of friend-of-the-court briefs by the Civil Beat Law Center and the Tax Foundation of Hawai`i.

The litigation may have helped Sneed’s bottom line but it didn’t do much to advance her case.

OHA has poured over $34M into its seven LLCs—contradicting attorney Kimberly Greeley, then “represent(ing) Hi`ilei Aloha, LLC, Ho’okele Pono, LLC, and Hi`ipaka LLC” who, in January, 2017, falsely claimed “the State … does not provide any funding for the Companies.”

To find out where the money went, Hawai`i Free Press, in November, 2016, filed a separate open records request for the entire check register for three of the LLCs.  After two months of stalling, the LLCs then-attorney Greeley wrote back claiming  that the LLCs were private organizations and they—and their assets such as Waimea Valley--were no longer property of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Since that shocking response from Greely, The LLC check registers have been sought by attorneys for Abigail Kawananakoa, by OHA Trustees, and by an auditing firm hired by OHA to look at the LLCs.  None of them have yet succeeded in making the records public.  Greeley did not represent the LLCs in court.

Sneed has 30 day to appeal.

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK
 
"WHAT ARE THE OHA TRUSTEES TRYING TO COVER UP NOW?"

Thereʻs A Serious Cover Up Happening At OHA.

But In Order For It To Work, Theyʻre Trying To Pull A Fast One.

Theyʻre Blaming Someone Else So You Donʻt Blame Them.

Watch This To See Who Theyʻre Trying To Blame & Why Their Trick Will Fail.

Then Share This Video Today With Your Family & Everyone You Know.

YOUR CHANCE TO GIVE THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS A PIECE OF YOUR MIND

 
















Hereʻs The Schedule For Their Public Meetings

SHOW UP & Tell Them These Three Things -

Demand Transparency In Everything They Do
 
Insist They Publicly Release The Check Registers For OHAʻs LLCs
 
Demand The Forensic Audit Be Completed & Released To The Public 

All Meetings Start At 5:30 PM -

May 22 - Hilo - UH Hilo - Hale `Ōlelo - 113 Nowelo St. - Hilo, Hawai`i Island 96720

May 23 - Wai`anae - Wai`anae High School Cafeteria -  85-251 Farrington Hwy. - Wai`anae, O`ahu 96792

May 24 - Waimānalo - Blanche Pope Elementary School Cafeteria - 41-133 Hulio St. - Waimānalo, O`ahu 96795

May 28 - Lān`i - Lāna`i Community Center - Eighth St. & Lāna`i Ave. - Lāna`i City, Lāna`i 96763

June 3 - Kona - Hawai`i Island, West Hawai`i Civic Center - 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy. - Kailua, Hawai`i Island 96740

June 4 - Hau`ula - Hau`ula Elementary School - 54-046 Kamehameha Hwy. - Hau`ula, O`ahu 96717

June 5 - Kaua`i -  Kaua`i Community College Cafeteria - 3-1901 Kaumuali`i Hwy. - Līhu`e, Kaua`i 96766

June 6 - Molokai - Kūlana `Ōiwi - Mauna Loa Hwy. - Kaunakakai, Molokai 96748

Please RSVP to oha@dtlstudio.com

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK
 
"GIVE OHA A PIECE OF YOUR MIND"

It Might Seem Strange But OHAʻs Asking Your Opinion.

Do They Really Care What It Is?

Well, Nowʻs Your Chance To Let Them Know.

Watch This To Discover How To Be Heard Loud & Clear.

Then Share This Video Today With Your Family & Everyone You Know.

OHA CFO - WE KEEP TRUSTEES IN THE DARK ABOUT LLCs

Hawai`i Free Press - December 30, 2018 - By Andrew Walden

At the tail end of a 403 page document dump filed November 30, 2018 in Walden v Hiilei Aloha LLC, etal (with yours truly as plaintiff), attorneys attempting to conceal the financial information of OHA’s LLCs included this nugget from OHA’s Chief Financial Officer -

    DECLARATION OF DAVID LAEHA

    I, DAVID LAEHA, do hereby declare:

    1. I am an employee of the State of Hawaii and the Chief Financial Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ("OHA").

    2. I am also a Manager of Hi'ilei Aloha, LLC ("Hi'ilei"), Ho'okele Pono LLC (''Ho'okele Pono''), and Hi'ipaka LLC ("Hi'ipaka") (collectively, the "Respondents").

    3. This Declaration is in support of Respondents' Supplemental Briefing.

    4. As a matter of practice, the Managers restrict the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' ("OHA") access to the information of the Respondents so as to reserve managerial powers in the Managers, as contemplated in Respondents' operating agreements. Managers have explicitly limited OHA's access to information, and reserved their right to continue to do so….

Since Laeha and the other OHA-appointed “Managers” of OHA’s LLCs are top executives of OHA, “limit OHA’s access to information” in practice means OHA administration limits OHA Trustees' access to LLC information and will continue to do so.

Friend of the Court briefs supporting Walden's position were submitted to the Court November 2 by Tax Foundation Hawaii and the Civil Beat Law Center.

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK
 
"A STUNNING REVELATION AT OHA"

Some Have Long Suspected This Has Been The Case. 

But Now A Highly Placed Office Of Hawaiian Affairs Official Has Publicly Admitted It. 

He Not Only Admitted Theyʻve Been Concealing Information, But From Whom. 

Watch This To See What Theyʻve Been Hiding & Why.

Then Share This Video Today With Your Family & Everyone You Know.

BEADIE DAWSON ENDORSES SAM KING FOR OHA O`AHU SEAT

We all know how important and consequential elections are. 

This year, we have a very unique opportunity to elect a man as O`ahu Trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that will change the course of local history. 

I am speaking of Samuel Wilder King II, a competent and ethical Hawaiian attorney.

This is what I know Sam wants to bring to OHA -

Accountability -

Correct the excesses and disallow personal expenses as was exposed by the state audits resulting in the current state and federal investigations into corruption.

Transparency -

Eliminate non-competitive, un-budgeted spending by OHA. 

Trust -

Push for the public release of more information about the board’s decision-making process.

Sam is carrying on the family legacy, shouldering the responsibility that comes with being elected to such an important post. His Hawaiian ancestry can be traced to the great chief of Ko`olaupoku, Kalaniho`olumokuikekai, who was killed fighting against Kamehameha in the battle of Nu`uanu in 1795. His great-grandfather was Governor Samuel Wilder King, our first governor of native Hawaiian ancestry.

Sam's grandfather was the revered federal judge, Samuel Pailthorpe King, Sr. It was Judge King, who, with other community leaders exposed the waste, fraud and mismanagement of the Bishop Estate Trustees through his co-authorship of the book “Broken Trust”.

Please join me and tell all your friends and family to vote for Samuel Wilder King II for Oahu Trustee for OHA. Let the makua smile again on our people.

Me Ke Aloha Pumehana,

Beadie Kanahele Dawson

HELP END CORRUPTION AT THE 
OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS

HE WANTS YOUR VOTE FOR OHA TRUSTEE ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"


"Truth & Transparency - A Visit With Samuel Wilder King II"

When Sam King read the recent state audit of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, he like most other Hawaiian beneficiaries was shocked and angered. So much so that he decided to take action and run for a trustee seat in the upcoming election to help put OHA back together. And if you didnʻt already know by his name, Samʻs family has quite a history in Hawai`i going back to the time of Kamehameha. Join us in our fascinating visit with Sam as he fills us in on whatʻs broken at OHA and his plans on how to fix it -  Watch It Here

MONDAY, June 11th At 6:30 PM – Maui – Akaku, Channel 54

MONDAY, June 11th At 5:30 PM & FRIDAY, June 15th At 3:30 PM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53  

NEW! - Now More Na Leo O Hawai`i Air Dates -
TUESDAY, June 12th At 11:00 AM & SATURDAY, June 16th At 8:30 AM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 54

TUESDAY, June 12th At 7:30 PM, THURSDAY, June 14th At 7:30 PM & SATURDAY, June 16th At 5:30 PM – Kaua`i - Ho`ike, Channel 52



Sneak Peek! -


"Hui Malama O Ke Kai - A Visit With Alohilani Maiava" 

Hui Mālama O Ke Kai is Hawaiian for “the caring group of the ocean” and no one knows that better than Alohilani Maiava. When Alohilani was in grade school, the ocean waters of Waimanalo called to her and thatʻs what led her as a fifth grader to Hui Malama O Ke Kai. Today as a staff member, she teaches Hawai`iʻs keiki, or children, the very same principles and skills she was also taught there when young. Join us in our deeply inspiring visit with Alohilani as she explains how Hui Malama O Ke Kai changed not only her own life, but how it can change the world - Watch It Here

FRIDAY, June 15th At 8:00 PM & SATURDAY, June 16th At 5:30 PM – O`ahu - `Olelo, Channel 53

Now you can become a fan of Voices Of Truth on Facebook by clicking Here and see behind the scenes photos of our shows and a whole lot more.  

Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you'll be inspired to do the same.
 
Voices Of Truth now airs on local access stations in over 90 cities across the US and throughout the world. Check your local listings.
 
For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV, a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.
 
Please share our Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network videos with friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Mahalo.

BECOME A FAN OF "VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`I'S FUTURE" ON FACEBOOK

See Behind The Scenes Shots Of Our Shows

    
























Click HERE To Become A Fan

BRINGING TRUTH & TRANSPARENCY TO OHA ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"


"Truth & Transparency - A Visit With Samuel Wilder King II"

When Sam King read the recent state audit of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, he like most other Hawaiian beneficiaries was shocked and angered. So much so that he decided to take action and run for a trustee seat in the upcoming election to help put OHA back together. And if you didnʻt already know by his name, Samʻs family has quite a history in Hawai`i going back to the time of Kamehameha. Join us in our fascinating visit with Sam as he fills us in on whatʻs broken at OHA and his plans on how to fix it - Watch It Here

MONDAY, June 4th At 6:30 PM – Maui – Akaku, Channel 54

MONDAY, June 4th At 5:30 PM & FRIDAY, June 8th At 3:30 PM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53  

NEW! - Now More Na Leo O Hawai`i Air Dates -
TUESDAY, June 5th At 11:00 AM & SATURDAY, June 9th At 8:30 AM – Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 54

TUESDAY, June 5th At 7:30 PM, THURSDAY, June 7th At 7:30 PM & SATURDAY, June 9th At 5:30 PM – Kaua`i - Ho`ike, Channel 52

SATURDAY,June 9th  At 5:30 PM – O`ahu - `Olelo, Channel 53


Now you can become a fan of Voices Of Truth on Facebook by clicking Here and see behind the scenes photos of our shows and a whole lot more.  

Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you'll be inspired to do the same.
 
Voices Of Truth now airs on local access stations in over 90 cities across the US and throughout the world. Check your local listings.

For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV, a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.
 
Please share our Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network videos with friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Mahalo.

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK
 
"OHA HOT AIR vs FRESH AIR"

Two Different Office Of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Messages & What A Contrast.

One Labels Calls For Truth & Transparency A Witch Hunt.

The Other Trustee Asks Beneficiaries To Participate & Speak Out Even More.

Watch Our Report To Discover Who Is Part Of The Coverup & Who Is Working For You.

Then Share This Video Today With Your Family & Everyone You Know.

SECRECY OF OHAʻS $20 MILLION WAIMEA VALLEY INVESTMENT QUESTIONED

Haunani Apoliona Crony Mona Bernardino Attempts 

To "Spin" Facts

 

HawaiiNewsNow - May 26, 2017

As it deals with infighting in the boardroom and a criminal investigation into its contract awards, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is facing new questions over the secrecy of some of its investments.

Since 2008, OHA has sunk about $20 million into purchasing, renovating and operating Waimea Valley, a poi mill on Kauai and other ventures.

But beneficiaries said they don't know enough about the investments. That's because OHA shields their records from the public by holding them in a separate nonprofit company, also known as a limited liability company or LLC, they said.

"This money could have been better spent" on social and educational programs for Hawaiians, said Germaine Meyers, an OHA beneficiary and Nanakuli homesteader.

OHA has repeated denied access to the Waimea Valley records when requested by local bloggers and beneficiaries, saying those records are not subject to the state's sunshine law nor are they subject to state procurement law because the nonprofits are separate entities.

Mona Bernardino, chief operating officer for Hi`ilei Aloha LLC, defended OHA's use of the nonprofits, saying they reduce red tape. She added that each of the nonprofits publicly file their own annual reports and IRS tax forms.

"Decision making can be very fast within the LLCs and we don't have politics and we don't have a bureaucracy. We can move very quickly," she said.

And OHA said those investments, after years of losses, are finally turning around.

"You guys are producing a profitable model, very valuable to the two Waimea Valleys. Waimea Valley in Kauai and Waimea Valley on O`ahu," said OHA trustee Dan Ahuna.

But one prominent legal expert said OHA is breaking the law by keeping the finances secret.

University of Hawai`i law professor Randy Roth said OHA continues to own and control the nonprofits, indicating that they are state entities and not private ones.

"I believe very strongly that these LLCs are subject to procurement laws and public information and sunshine laws," said Roth.

Roth is not the only prominent critic. An ethics complaint from Hawaiian royalty descendant Abigail Kawananakoa accuses OHA of diverting and misusing assets meant for Hawaiian programs.

"You simply can't hide things by dropping them into a wholly-owned subsidiary," said Roth.

HEREʻS THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS MILLION DOLLAR WASHINGTON, DC HOME

211 K Street NE On Lobbyist Row 

How Many Hawaiians Do You Know Who Live In Million Dollar Homes?

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS GETS "F" FOR TRUTH & TRANSPARENCY
 

Honolulu Civil Beat - May 10, 2017 - Chad Blair

A new report identifies 42 government agencies across the country that have poor practices when it comes to online spending transparency.

One of them is the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the only city, county or state agency named from Hawaii.

The U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s report, titled Following the Money 2017: Governing in the Shadows, was released last month.

The federation of state Public Interest Research Groups describes itself as “a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society.”

The report gives OHA, which had expenditures of $55 million in 2013, a grade of F. 

An Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees meeting in January. The meetings are live-streamed, which OHA cites as an example of transparency.

U.S. PIRG gave OHA scores of zero when it comes to online searches for checkbook-spending level information, data that can be downloaded in bulk and the ability to search for keywords, recipients and excluded information.

Only nine other agencies, which U.S. PIRG calls “special purpose districts,” were considered worse than OHA. They include the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency in California, the King County Rural Library District in Washington state and the Nebraska Public Power District.

“Citizens’ ability to understand how their tax dollars are spent is fundamental to democracy,” the report’s executive summary states. “Budget and spending transparency holds government officials accountable for making smart decisions, checks corruption, and provides citizens an opportunity to affect how government dollars are spent.”

 

Nationwide, there are more than 38,000 special districts that spend more than $200 billion annually.

PIRG evaluated 79 agencies in all. Those topping the list with “A” grades include the Port of Houston Authority in Texas, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Louisville-Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District.

“The nation’s most transparent special districts are often those in states that have taken action to require or encourage the posting of financial information online,” the report states.

Asked to comment on the report, OHA CEO Kamana`opono Crabbe said, “Transparency and accountability continue to be top priorities for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. To this end, we are committed to going above and beyond just complying with minimum open government requirements, such as the state sunshine law.”

As examples, Crabbe said OHA’s monthly report on all board actions and votes is included in its newspaper, Ka Wai Ola, which is distributed to more than 60,000 subscribers in Hawaii and on the mainland.

OHA has also live-streamed Board of Trustee standing committee meetings since 2013. And, OHA posts online meeting agendas and minutes, annual reports, financial statements and procurement and awards information.

At least one OHA trustee thinks OHA can do better.

“While OHA serves the special purpose of bettering the conditions of the Hawaiian people, it is a state government agency which must be transparent and accountable to the public,” said Trustee Keli`i Akina. “In my personal opinion, OHA can improve its online financial transparency by simply creating a website page that provides detailed information on OHA’s revenues, spending, fiscal policies and priorities, and also allows the public to respond with constructive feedback."

Akina, who was elected to the board in November, has lede fforts to scrutinize OHA’s operations through auditing. He supported the majority of trustees who briefly installed Trustee Rowena Akana as board chairwoman.

Akana has long criticized how the agency is run, and she tried to have Crabbe fired. Just this week, Hawaii News Now reported that the state attorney general is investigating whether OHA improperly awarded a lucrative contract without competitive bidding. The report quotes Akana as saying the improper awarding of OHA contracts is rampant. 

Crabbe said efforts at greater financial transparency are already underway.

In March, OHA added a page on its website about its upcoming biennium budget, one that allows for community input. More information on contracts and personnel will be posted beginning in October, he said.

“While transparency and accountability are agency priorities, we also recognize that there will always be room for improvement,” said Crabbe. “In the end, we welcome opportunities to share with our beneficiaries and the public how OHA is managing its trust to meet our legal mandate of bettering the lives of Native Hawaiians.”