Woo had been Kaneshiro's executive assistant and chief spokesman through Kaneshiro's eight years as prosecutor. But Charles Toguchi, Gov. Ben Cayetano's chief of staff, said he spiked Woo's state position because of a news story Woo broadcast while a reporter for KGMB-TV in the early 1980s.

"I am not asking for sympathy - I understand politics," Woo said.

"This says more to me about Charles Toguchi's character and the vindictive nature of the Cayetano administration than it says about me."

Said Toguchi: "An injustice was done and you are telling me I have to work with this guy." After the 1982 election, Toguchi said, Woo reported that the Hawaii Republican Party was investigating him for voter fraud. At the time, Toguchi was a state senator.

"He ran the story and I blew my stack, my neighbors came to see me, my relatives called me and everybody said why are you involved in voter fraud violations.

"I said I am not. Doug Woo made a story up that the Republicans said I was involved in voter fraud violations," Toguchi said.

Woo said he doesn't recall that story, although he did broadcast a story in September 1983 about Toguchi being told by former state Sen. Clifford Uwaine to register people who didn't live in his district.

Toguchi hadn't reported the conversation to the city prosecutor office, which was investigating Uwaine. Toguchi subsequently became a witness for the prosecution in the case against Uwaine, who was convicted of voter fraud and served a prison sentence.

"I was left hanging out there. I begged Doug to close the story. If there was an investigation, what was the result of the investigation," recalled Toguchi, who later became state schools superintendent.

The state is not required to hire the staff recommended by a department head, Toguchi said. "He (Woo) is not guaranteed a position. The administration has the right to make the decision."

Woo, who has since been hired by Jeremy Harris as a spokesman for the city wastewater department, said the incident is disturbing because the state is making decisions based on past politics and grievances, not qualifications.

"The decision on my hiring was not based on qualifications or public interest or public business or even budget considerations; it was based purely on a personal grudge going back 13 years," Woo said.

According to Woo, Toguchi threatened to quit if Woo was hired. Woo based his information on conversations he had with Kaneshiro, who was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Toguchi, however, said he didn't threaten to quit but did say, "If Doug Woo wants to come to the state administration, he can come after I leave."

Woo said the issue was sensitive because he was only two years away from being vested in the public employee retirement program and he wasn't told about not getting the state position until just a few days before his city contract was to expire.