During a
recent meeting, when the County Council was preparing to vote on a settlement of Councilman Tim
Bynum's lawsuit against Kauai County, former Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri and planning
supervisor Sheilah Miyake,
Councilman Ross Kagawa made a startling announcement: He was planning
to file an ethics complaint against Councilman Mason Chock.
Ross
felt it was a conflict for Mason to vote on the settlement after Tim
had voted to appoint Mason to the Council in that dirty, screwy process to secure a vote to override the mayor's veto of Bill
2491. The seed companies are now challenging the appointment process in
their lawsuit to invalidate the bill.
But in
reading the deposition of deputy prosecutor Gary Nelson, it seems
there was another potential conflict in the case. In this excerpt,
attorney Dan Hempey is asking Gary about Tim's zoning violation,
which was sent to the Office of Prosecuting Attorney for criminal
prosecution. Tim was charged with two misdemeanor zoning violations,
which were later dismissed.
Q. How
was [Councilman] Mel Rapozo involved?
A. When
I got the box that had all of the cases, there was a spreadsheet that
had been done by Mel Rapozo, and it had just kind of a listing of all
of the -- all of the cases. It was just like the names of all of the
people, and then their TMK numbers, and then the current status,
whether or not they were moving towards compliance or whether it was
going to be resolved within the planning department. It was
color coded, and there were some that were coded for prosecution like
there was no resolution. It's time to prosecute. So he had done
some sort of summary.
Q. Okay.
And do you remember if Bynum's was coded for prosecution?
A. Yes.
Q. Was
it?
A. It
was.
Q. Okay.
And do you understand from an employment or contractual perspective,
how Mel Rapozo would have put this -- why Mel Rapozo would have put
this spreadsheet together and provided it to you?
A. My
understanding was that he was an investigator with the office of the
prosecuting attorney at some point. While he was an inspector, he did
have the files.
Q. Okay.
So before you got there, your understanding he was an investigator
for the prosecutor's office?
A. Yeah.
As I
previously reported:
Mel's
company, M&P Legal Support Services LLC, was paid $43,026.20 to
serve subpoenas for the Office of Prosecuting Attorney between July
2009 and May 2012, according to a review of public records.
In
looking back at that post, I also noticed that Council watchers Glenn
Mickens and Ken Taylor — both staunch Shay supporters — had filed
a Board of Ethics complaint against County Attorney Al Castillo, claiming he'd helped
Prosecutor Justin Kollar (his former deputy) to get elected and had
tried to derail Gary Nelson's career.
Not that it went anywhere, because it was motivated by revenge.
Not that it went anywhere, because it was motivated by revenge.
Sigh. As is the nature of dirty laundry, just when you think you have it all washed, more is tossed in the hamper. But at least we can hang it on the line
to air dry. Unless you live in Princeville, where laundry — clean or dirty — must remain hidden safely indoors.
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13 comments:
What's the conflict? He was screwing both sides.
Mel worked for OPA and then voted on the OPA case? After all Shaylene's antics, Mel Had a role in deciding to prosecute Bynam? But Mel was voting on that case also. How's that allowed?
Mel is elected by the people. Mason was hand picked by Bynum Hooser and Joanne. Big, Big, Difference People.
Pure Kukai… not so cut and dry. Note worthy and similiar antics in plenty more dealings.
best tactic> to showcase the transcripts and let them blemish for themselves. no need scathing embellishments sometimes. Get em Joan…
Your statement "it seems there was another potential conflict in the case".
It seems it's just your potential opinion so it seems everything otherwise is okay. Plus Ross is entitled to an opinion, and should act accordingly. Just remember nobody's potential opinion is above the law.
In real time Mel had asked for clearance to work for the prosecutor and be on the council, he was cleared , there was no conflict.
As the world turns....Ross opening the Pandora Box. All the backroom manoeuvring coming to light. It is what it smelled like all along.
when opinions are subject to law you will know the thought police have arrived
When some use their opinion as though they are judge and jury that's when the thought police will arrive.
"Mel worked for OPA and then voted on the OPA case? After all Shaylene's antics, Mel Had a role in deciding to prosecute Bynam? But Mel was voting on that case also. How's that allowed?".....
On Kauai you just do it, nobody holds you accountable or if someone does try, like Bynum: shoot the messenger.
All this angst over who knows who. Folks the number of people who care enough about the management of the island to actually -do- something (other then post conspiracy comments) is extremely small.
I find it "interesting" that health.hawaii.gov has been inaccessible for the last week since John Patt's LTE about birth and cancer studies done by the DOH. Probably just a coincidence.
Odd. I accessed the site on both Thursday and Friday with no problem.
Why worry about a prosecutor targeting a political enemy? Aside from the scary Mao or Mccarthyist tactic that we freedom loving types loathe, she cost us a lot of money.
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