Mayor Kenoi wants off on a technicality

[kalakoa]

If the surfboard were bought as a prize ... If the bike was bought for the mayor to ride publicly ...

If the purchases were promptly disclosed...

[HiloPuna]

leilanidude

You are the guy accusing the Mayor of being a thief. I called on YOU to show proof, or I asked you to reserve judgement until those facts are available. You ask ME to prove it? How can I prove a negative?

The facts as we now know them don't support the histrionics of the past 8 months. I'll repeat the relevant passage in case you skipped over it above.

" The filing referred to the grand jury testimony of several current and former county employees, including former Finance Director Nancy Crawford who, according to the motion, said department heads or the mayor could authorize personal purchases on the pCard, but the county required reimbursement.

"According to the document, when asked about the timing of a personal charge reimbursement, Crawford said, “I don’t recall any specific policy or procedure related to reimbursement,” but understood it to mean within two to three months.
Crawford also testified, according to the motion, that because of “the unique nature of the mayor’s office” including “reaching out to people,” Kenoi was authorized to buy alcohol and gifts and charge entertainment expenses with the card..."

So:
Personal purchases-ALLOWED
Reimbursement-REQUIRED
Timing of above- UNDEFINED (2-3 months)

Entertainment/Alcohol/Gifts- ALLOWED

[ElysianWort]

What, HiloPuna, you don't think he's a thief? You think he is honest and up-and-up with us, the people? Leilanidude is right on target and accurate here. He is in the majority. Billy Kenoi is a thief! It is so obvious. And if you REALLY do believe he is innocent then the wool is being pulled over your eyes....or something.

[Tink]

The "undefined" rule of paying back non allowed expenses is more than likely to mean that debts are paid within the fiscal quarter for accounting purposes. This rule is, or should be in the MOU (memorandum of understanding) in writing.

Community begins with Aloha

[Rob Tucker]

I can recall Billy seeking the support of my group for his first election. I talked with him and checked him out. My impression was a cheap lawyer with no resume and a bucket full of money. I wasn't impressed. One had to wonder where the bucket of money really came from. My instinct is that this pcard affair is just the little that is known. Billy was also buying off members of the press who later got cushy county paychecks.


Angel Pilago was a far better prospect for our mayor. But Angel had no bucket of money.

As I recall Billy's campaign budget was $800,000.

[Eric1600]

http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news...-10-1.html Looks like about $620,000 was spent. But that isn't illegal but it is a lot of money.

I've read the articles and this thread and I'm still personally confused by all of this.

* Two felony theft charges
* Two misdemeanor theft charges
* Three counts of tampering with a government record
* Single count of making a false statement under oath

But articles I read don't really talk about the charges. I keep reading he charged some personal stuff (< 10% of his balance of chargers were personal), which he was allowed to do as long as he paid it back. Granted he may have been slow to do so, but what was the theft?

Does anyone have a link to the actual charges filed?

[shockwave rider]

quote:

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Originally posted by ElysianWort

What, HiloPuna, you don't think he's a thief? You think he is honest and up-and-up with us, the people? Leilanidude is right on target and accurate here. He is in the majority. Billy Kenoi is a thief! It is so obvious. And if you REALLY do believe he is innocent then the wool is being pulled over your eyes....or something.

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There is a vast legal and ethical chasm between being a "thief" as defined by law, and being "honest and up-and up with us the people." I think Kenoi's actions have not yet been proven to be theft as defined by the legal system, but he clearly has not been honest or up-and-up with the citizens of Hawaii county who elected him and paid his salary.

The whole thing is a tragic waste, Kenoi had the potential to go far as a "local boy does good" and a role model. He is smart, personable and able to connect with a wide variety of people, but now he will forever be branded as another sleazy politician who played fast and loose with the rules for his personal benefit, no matter if he is convicted or not of the legal charges.

There is an impulse control test done with young children that has turned out to be an accurate predictor of eventual outcomes for their lives. You leave the kid alone in a room with a cookie and tell them if they wait and leave that cookie alone they will get 2 cookies. The children were then followed until adulthood to see how their lives turned out. Those who waited for 2 cookies had better lives across the board: educational levels, income, intact marriages and families, less incarceration and so on. Billy is the classic example of that kid who, for whatever reason, just couldn't delay gratification, he had to take the cookie.

[alaskyn66]

quote:

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Does anyone have a link to the actual charges filed?

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http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Portals/0...202016.pdf

(PDF file)

..Bad boys,Bad boys what we gonna do...let ya out on bail for a buck or two...

[Johnd]

Billy Kenoi is not man enough to cherish the position we gave him, not man enough to cherish his wife, his kids or the kupuna. Single handed he ruined the reputation of the Hawaiian people. A wayward kid who went from drug dealer to a pretty befitting career: a lawyer. A real man takes responsibility for his wrongdoings, a coward...does not. If he hasn't resigned is because WE are paying for his legal fees and his retirement!

Kim?.... Again, apparently we have not learn the lessons yet!

jdo

[alaskyn66]

If he didn't do anything wrong why did he make a public apology... for the 'mistakes' he made.

https://youtu.be/loUljjGPPbA

And this one..

https://youtu.be/nPcct7QC8Ws

..Bad boys,Bad boys what we gonna do...let ya out on bail for a buck or two...