Mansho’s staff City prosecutors have issued subpoenas in a criminal investigation of City Councilwoman Rene Mansho.
served with subpoenas
The Council member
is being investigated
by the city prosecutorBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comAt least two members of Mansho's staff were served with subpoenas yesterday ordering them to appear April 10 before a Circuit Court grand jury in connection with the councilwoman's case, according to sources.
Attorneys for Mansho have been attempting to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors, but parties on both sides have refused to discuss the issue.
The white-collar unit of the Honolulu Police Department began investigating Mansho last spring when the state Campaign Spending Commission fined her $40,000 for misspending campaign funds. Additionally, Mansho reimbursed the Council for misusing staff time after the Ethics Commission found her in violation of ethics rules.
The Campaign Spending Commission concluded that Mansho used money from her campaign funds to pay for travel and lodging to attend meetings of the National Association of County Organizations and then also received compensation for the same expenses from the Council without reimbursing her campaign. Mansho admitted she misspent campaign funds.
While Mansho initially was stripped of her NACO duties in the aftermath of the commission proceedings, she recently attended a NACO conference in Washington, D.C., and is expected to be reimbursed from city coffers.
Mansho's constituents have filed a petition with the Hawaii Supreme Court seeking to have her impeached from office.
The city clerk's office is verifying the signatures. The court has not yet decided whether it will hear the proceeding. An attempt to have her recalled at the ballot failed when those seeking her removal failed to gain enough signatures.
Mansho, a former schoolteacher, has been on the Council for the past 12 years. She represents the North Shore, Wahiawa, Mililani and portions of Waipahu. A two-term limit that became law in 1994 bars her from seeking another four-year term.
If indicted, Mansho would be the second member of the Council to have that distinction. Former City Councilman Andy Mirikitani is serving four years and three months in a federal prison after being convicted last year of accepting kickbacks from employees in exchange for bonuses.
City & County of Honolulu
