Credit card company says Waihee owes $72,031
Former Gov. John Waihee is being sued by two American Express companies that charge that Waihee owes them $72,031.
The suit filed yesterday in Circuit Court claims that Waihee charged the $72,031 on two American Express credit cards, a Gold account and a Platinum account.
"The defendant's failure to pay American Express is a material breach of the terms of the agreements," the lawsuit filed by Gary Okuda, said.
"Despite demand, the defendant has refused, neglected and failed to pay American Express," the suit charged.
Neither Waihee nor Okuda were available for comment this morning.
The suit asks for Waihee to repay the money owed and interest and court costs.
When he left the Governor's Office in 1994, Waihee joined the Washington, D.C., law firm of Verner Liipfert Bernhard McPherson & Hand and worked as a lobbyist. In 2002, he left the firm when it closed its Honolulu office and formed a law partnership with a former political associate, Renton Nip.
In 2004, Bank of Hawaii foreclosed on Waihee's private Nuuanu home, saying Waihee owed $828,598, but the former two-term Democratic governor and Democratic Party leader was able to repay the loan.