Transcript

Star-Bulletin phone interview
with Milton Holt

Star-Bulletin

S-B: Hi Milton.

Holt: Hi.

S-B: Rick Daysog with the Bulletin.

Holt: Hi Rick.

S-B: How you doing?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: How's things?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: I understand you met with uh, with uh Larry Goya today.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: How'd it go?

Holt: Ok. We meet again in two weeks.

S-B: In two weeks.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: How long did you guys meet?

Holt: About an hour and a half.

S-B: How'd it go?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: Now, so...yeah, I'm doing a story based on that for tomorrow. I take it people have called you today.

Holt: No.

S-B: No. How you holding out?

Holt: Well not much to say.

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: Nothing was uh, nothing was really done in the meeting.

S-B: Mm hm. Was it just sort of a get...just to talk? You know just sort of an initial talk?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah. Hey why did they ask you, have you paid everything back? You know, mine doesn't...Lokelani told me everything was paid back.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Everything. All fully paid back.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Ok, Ok. You had mentioned that uh, you know Dooley even talking about this stuff about, uh, uh it's just being partially paid back and is paid back by lump sum. Is there anything to that or is it, or we're saying everything's been paid back?

Holt: No, everything's been paid back.

S-B: Yeah. What, what in general, can I ask you what those charges were for? You know?

Holt: What do you mean?

S-B: You know, the credit card charges and that they were, obviously, they were large amounts.

MH: Mm hm. Personally, I had every intent of paying them back.

S-B: Yeah, yeah.

MH: Yeah.

S-B: Ok. You know, it, it, this is, this is difficult for me too, you know.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: We got this thing, you know. I, I, you know, I, I don't know if Kekoa, Kekoa mentioned to you when I did the first story that uh I tried to get a hold of you early, on that time. You know what I mean. So, so how's everything else going?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: Yeah. This campaign stuff too is coming up.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah, so how you holding out?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: Best I can.

S-B: Yeah. Now what's this about the FBI talking about this stuff?

Holt: Well, I don't know.

S-B: No?

Holt: I don't know what their digging into.

S-B: Yeah. Are they?

Holt: They're searching. Fishing.

S-B: Yeah. And you know they're looking?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah, so?

Holt: There ain't nothing there though.

S-B: Mm hm. Do they think these are largely discrepancies, is that what we're saying, just reporting to...

Holt: No. I think because they, they, the initial report that we made showed the $43,000 missing...

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: ...they figured that I did something with the money.

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: You know, so they started looking.

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: And uh, we reconciled the differences...

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: ...this past Wednesday so...

S-B: Yeah. And then, apparently there's some loans there that you gave yourself.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: What were those for?

Holt: Personal.

S-B: Yeah? Well, Ok. Can you talk to the trustees? I know Henry, he uh, he and Henry are close enough, right?

Holt: Mm hm.

S-B: Yeah. What are their, what's they're sort of response to this?

Holt: (Laughs) I can't speak for them.

S-B: Yeah, well.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah, cause I saw Dickie that day, you know, and, and I saw him (after) court with Lokelani...

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: ...and he was somewhat suprised by the... But apparently, Henry was aware of some of these things?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah?

S-B: So, I guess you, you're just going to say they're personal of nature for now?

Holt: Oh, what? The credit card?

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: Well, they were personal. I, I, I reimbursed the state on the personal charges that are made.

S-B: Yeah. They weren't business expenses?

Holt: They weren't business expenses.

S-B: They weren't?

Holt: No.

S-B: No? O.K. Yeah, cuz that's been the speculation, that, you know, you were entertaining business associates.

Holt: No.

S-B: Or, uh, ok. We're not, ok. So, where do we go from here?

Holt: I don't know. Wait couple weeks, see what happens.

S-B: Have they indicated what they were gonna ...

Holt: No.

S-B: ...Bring up the charges?

Holt: No.

S-B: No. Cuz they're, they're, they're looking more at the trustee side, right?

Holt: Yeah, more the management.

S-B: Yeah. Was this, uh, was this stuff filed with the IRS too?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Oh it was?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Yeah. And were there sanctions?

Holt: No.

S-B: Or you don't know yet?

Holt: No. IRS is still looking at our report.

S-B: Yeah? So...

Holt: That's confidential.

S-B: Yeah. Yeah. What kind of toll has this had on your family? Must've been tough, yeah?

Holt: Yeah. Never a, a day goes on without Read ... picking up the paper and reading about me, so...

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: Hard on the kids, yeah?

S-B: Yeah. You know, it's rough. You know, it was my concern when your story first came out. So, where we gonna go? Huh. So let's, umm... What kind of support have you had from people?

Holt: Pretty solid.

S-B: Yeah, there's been some supporters, family support?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Mm hm. Huh. You know, one of the things that, uh, have been reported was that, uh, the estate gave you a lump some, uh, bonus. Is that accurate? Is that true?

Holt: No.

S-B: To help pay for this, this is all paid for by, through your, through your savings, I guess?

Holt: No. There was one salary, uh, adjustment that was made ...

S-B: Mm hm...

Holt: Early on. That, that, took care some of the charges.

S-B: Mmm hmm. Were there other expenses that we don't know about?

Holt: No.

S-B: No.

Holt: Um mmm (negative).

S-B: Cuz some people said that there might have been another in January, $800.

Holt: Well, that's reported, though.

S-B: Was it?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Who, who reported that? Oh, that wasn't common knowledge.

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: That's how I know, it might have been discussed, you know, in the building, but this is about $828 in change.

Holt: Yeah, mm hm.

S-B: It did happen?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Was it Misty's?

Holt: Huh?

S-B: Was it at Misty's?

Holt: No. Saigon Passion.

S-B: Oh.

Holt: I paid that back, though.

S-B: Yeah?

Holt: Mmm Hmm.

S-B: How much, eight hundred and twenty-three?

Holt: Eight hundred something.

S-B: Yeah.

Holt: Eighty.

S-B: So you paid it. So you're current?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: Your status, what's your status here with the estate. Are you on leave or are you?

Holt: No, I'm still working.

S-B: Still working. Special projects manager right?

Holt: Yeah. Officer.

Holt: Officer.

S-B: And what do you, what do you do there?

Holt: Track legislation.

S-B: Mm hm. What's, what's, you know, one of the things graduates call me, you know, I, I gotta, gotta ask you this question, they ask me, they call me, and they, they say, well this money should never have been spent on this, this thing, and uh, you know, this is all going, you know, there should've been money that went to the, to the kids and the schools.

Holt: What money?

S-B: Well, the money that you repaid, something like $20,000.

Holt: Yeah, but that's a, a wash, right?

S-B: Yeah, mm hm. What's your personal feelings toward this all, I mean, I mean, how do you face the, uh, you know I guess the ohana of Kamehameha? Oh. Do you feel, I mean since, I, I guess you have repaid it, yeah?

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: I mean, is there any uneasiness about it? Do you feel...

Holt: Well, there's some misunderstanding.

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: On the expenditure of bill.

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: The state money.

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: But the, the whole time I fully intended to pay every penny back, which I've done.

S-B: Mm hm. Mm hm. Have it, uh, or do you still have the trustee support, these days?

Holt: I think I do.

S-B: Mm hm.

Holt: I'm still working.

S-B: What's your general impression of the overall controversy? You know, you and I have never ever seen anything like this. I've never been forced to work so hard on things like this.

Holt: Mm.

S-B: Ah, how's, how's...

Holt: It's unfortunate, difficult that it gotta go through something like this.

S-B: Yeah, yeah. It must be tough on a lot of people...

Holt: Yeah.

S-B: ... who have gone through the system, so... How's Cheryl doing?

Holt: She's ok, she's got the boys.

S-B: Yeah.

S-B: How's the kids doing?

Holt: Ok.

S-B: Your parents?

Holt: Fine.

S-B: Oh that's good. Well, I, I don't wanna take too much of your time here, I think I've sort of talked your ear off here.

Holt: Ok.

S-B: I appreciate your talking to us here, Milton.

Holt: Ok, Rick.

S-B: Ok, take it easy and good luck, huh?

Holt: Take care. Yeah.

S-B: Bye, bye.

Holt: Bye, bye.

---

Holt says he's reimbursed Bishop Estate in full
Sat. Apr. 4, 1998 News Update

Bishop Estate Archive