Honolulu Lite
In his federal extortion and bribery trial, City Councilman Andy Mirikitani is learning some new meanings for the names of local landmarks. Tapes give peek at
Andy’s secret lifeLike Tantalus Lookout. For most of us, it means, "Oh, look out at the beautiful view of Honolulu!" For Mirikitani it means, "Look out! You're being secretly tape-recorded!"
According to trial testimony, Mirikitani met with former aide Jonn Serikawa at Tantalus (look out!) to ask Serikawa to lie (look out!) if questioned by the FBI (look out!) about kicking back a portion of a bonus Mirikitani paid him (look out!).
What Mirikitani didn't know (look out!) was that Serikawa was secretly recording their conversation (look out!) and everything Mirikitani said on the tape would be used against him (REALLY look out!).
But the weird thing is that Mirikitani must have suspected that someone might have been monitoring their conversation because Mirikitani jotted down many of his comments on a legal pad instead of blurting them out. Now, if you suspect you are being recorded, either by the FBI or some former drug felon you happened to have hired as an aide, why would you say anything out loud?
This prosecution thing is what happens when you try to help out someone who has had trouble with the law. Serikawa has a felony record and yet Mirikitani hires him anyway, gives the kid a chance. And then when he simply asks that the kid kick back a few thousand bucks from a Christmas bonus, the kid rolls over like a trained Pekingese at the Westminster Kennel Show and rats out Andy to the feds. That's gratitude for you.
Here's a little rule of thumb when meeting with people with criminal backgrounds: If you think you will need to write out most of your remarks on a legal pad so no one can record what you're saying, maybe you shouldn't go to the meeting.
I covered courts for many years, and I always looked forward to trials involving hidden wires or secret recordings. Not because they were the smoking guns that put the bad guys away, but because they often allowed you to see people the way they really are, to glimpse into secret worlds.
For instance, who knew that the dapper-dressed Mirikitani had such a garbage mouth? On the tapes, he uses the "F" word and the "S" word with the dexterity of a longshoreman.
He describes his work as a city councilman as a "thankless f---ing job."
And you know how elected officials are always telling us how important public input is to the political process? Apparently, they all don't feel that way.
"You know those haoles from Kailua side," Mirikitani snarls to Serikawa. "They're really activist and loud."
To really appreciate the offensive nature of that remark, simply substitute any other racist characterization for the term "haoles."
Anyone with that much disdain for the people he allegedly represents perhaps shouldn't be in public service, which -- by the way -- everyone already knows is a "thankless f----ing job." You don't need to go to Tantalus (Lookout!) to see that.
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Charles Memminger also writes Honolulu Lite Mondays,
Wednesdays and Sundays. Send ideas to him at the
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210,
Honolulu 96813, phone 235-6490 or e-mail cmemminger@starbulletin.com.
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