What do you get for $892 at a Honolulu hostess bar

[ironyak]

More video of Kenoi's explanation & apology from Star Advertiser
https://youtu.be/V2p_jxXNKco

[kalakoa]

More video

I'll have to check that out ... as soon as I get to Starbucks' wifi.

[Punatic007]

First, I'm shocked that an investigation of the Mayor's legal and ethical infractions has yet to announced. Secondly I'm watching the media coverage to get an idea who is biased or unbiased and how they cover the story. Interestingly the HTH added this short paragraph in an article yesterday afternoon:

"Reaction was swift on the newspaper’s site and in social media, with county residents weighing in to support the mayor, denounce the spending, and, of course, make a lot of jokes and humorous memes at his expense."

Here's the article in full: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/topnews/...-back-7500

This is the 2nd time I've read this, yet the overwhelming majority of comments online are from folk who are aghast if not furious with the mayor. Yet the HTH wants us to believe the opposite, he is being supported but offers no proof of this??....hmmm.

Big Island Video News isn't even touching it. Another hmmmm...

Nor has Big Island Chronicle.

If there is no investigation and Billy faces no consequences for his criminal behavior, I think this story would be fitting for CNN if not numerous other corruption exposing prime time t.v. shows.

[KeaauRich]

In my earlier post, I noted that sometimes honest mistakes can be made and the wrong credit card used. I was guilty of this several times myself in my working days, and I always repaid the amounts as soon as I realized my error. I was inclined to give Billy the benefit of the doubt. Now that more info has come out, it's clear that Billy's purchases were not inadvertent errors, but rather blatant disregard of County regulations and the public trust. RIP Billy's future political career.

[ironyak]

Originally posted by kalakoa
I'll have to check that out ... as soon as I get to Starbucks' wifi.

Or the public libraries, or McDonalds, or the cafe next to 7-11, etc... There is a lot of free wifi to be found in Keaau and mauka.

[ironyak]

Hits keep coming - more at link including full pCard statements and reimbursements going back to 2009.

http://khon2.com/2015/04/02/mayors-credi...hsba-dues/
"
More troubles are emerging for Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi.

The Hawaii County prosecutor’s office has launched a criminal investigation into Kenoi’s misuse of a government-issued credit card.

Kenoi admitted he used his pCard for personal use, including nearly $900 at Club Evergreen, a hostess bar in Honolulu.

The mayor said he paid all the money back, but the prosecutor is looking into whether any laws were broken.

The county’s auditor has been reviewing countywide pCard spending for months, pouring over more than 150 pages of spending by Kenoi, line by line.

Looking through the statements, there are a lot of charges for drinks, food, hotels, rental cars and more.
But what’s business and what’s not is still far from clear.

From January 2009 to the pCard statement running through the end of this February, Kenoi charged more than $122,000 to the taxpayer-backed card. The statements say he has a credit limit of $10,000.

Of that, the mayor paid back about $29,000, and others like trade organizations paid back about $6,000 for him.
"

[Obie]

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/28712...s-by-kenoi

Another hostess bar charge .

[KeaauRich]

So I guess the next question to ask is how can the county's system of check and balances be so flawed that this activity can go on for so long? Clearly many people involved in the Mayor's office and the Finance Department must have known about the charges and reimbursements, and no one spoke up???

[TomK]

Keaau - I read in another news article that county administrators will be investigated. Sorry, no link right now, there have been so many news stories, but will try and find the article.

[TomK]

Found it.

"And it’s not just Kenoi who could get in trouble for this. Chin says they’re looking at others who work for the county who might have known that this was going on and didn’t report it.

“Was there somebody who was processing this that allowed this to happen that might have given the mayor the impression that it was okay?” Chin said."

http://khon2.com/2015/04/02/mayors-credi...hsba-dues/