Recall rally aims More than a dozen people canvassed shoppers at the Mililani Town Center holding signs and looking for signatures on a recall drive against Councilwoman Rene Mansho over ethics and campaign spending problems.
at ousting Mansho
Still early into the drive,
the group needs 5,303 signaturesBy Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin"We're about 10 days into this and we have 50 days left," said Michelle Kidani, a coordinator of yesterday's event. "If we continue at this pace, we will have secured the number of petitions we need. It was quite encouraging."
The group hopes to collect 5,303 signatures of registered voters in Mansho's district which covers the North Shore, Mililani and Wahiawa.
If they obtain the required signatures, Mansho would have to resign or face a recall election. The group is also seeking the signatures of 1,000 registered voters' to ask the state Supreme Court to impeach Mansho.
Organizers did not have an exact count on how many signatures they gathered today at the event dubbed the "Recall Rene Rally."
Kidani said she and others collected about 225 signatures yesterday. She said the North Shore and Wahiawa groups probably gathered another few hundred.
Mansho has admitted to misspending campaign contributions and having city workers perform non-city work on city time, following investigations by the city Ethics and state Campaign Spending commissions.
She was fined $80,000, of which she has paid $40,000.
Kidani, a former Mansho aide, said those signing petitions told her "they truly believe that justice had not been served, that they don't believe (Mansho) when she said she didn't know, and being in office for 12 years, she should have known better."
Mansho could not be reached for comment today, but her attorney has said the councilwoman did not knowingly violate any laws.
Kidani said the group will be out again next Saturday at the Mililani Town Center and may go out to the North Shore and Wahiawa.