Former City Councilwoman Rene Mansho is expected to plead guilty to theft charges when she is arraigned next Thursday before Circuit Judge Gail Nakatani. Mansho expected
to plead guilty
to theft chargesShe is accused of stealing $20,000
in city funds as a councilwomanBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comDeputy Prosecutor Randy Lee said the prosecutor's office will seek the maximum 10-year sentence for the first- and second-degree theft charges.
He would not provide details of a plea agreement between Mansho and his office, however.
Mansho and her attorney, James Koshiba, did not return calls asking for comment.
Yesterday, city prosecutors filed charges alleging that Mansho stole more than $20,000 in city funds between April 1, 1989, and Dec. 31, 2000, and more than $300 from the Friends of Rene Mansho between Jan. 1, 1994, and Aug. 31, 2000.
Mansho allegedly misused her campaign funds and made her Council staff do campaign activities on city time.
Last year, she was fined $40,000 by the state Campaign Spending Commission for misspending campaign funds and also reimbursed the Council $40,000 for misusing staff time after the city Ethics Commission found her in violation.
City Councilman Steve Holmes said he thought the prosecutor's request for prison term was appropriate, given the alleged crime and the amount of money in question.
"There's no doubt that what Rene did was a lot worse than what Andy did," referring to the four-year, three-month prison sentence given to former City Councilman Andy Mirikitani.
Mirikitani was convicted of a scheme last year for receiving $6,884 in kickbacks.
Upon hearing the charges, "the only thing I can say about it is, 'Whoa, it's bad, it's really bad,'" said City Council Chairman John DeSoto.
"Let that be a message to all those running for office: that you gotta make sure you understand what can happen in procedures. So you need to do what you were told to do or elected to do, and that is to serve the people and not yourself. That part got her in trouble, like with Andy, like with everyone who got in trouble," he said.
City Council newcomer Ann Kobayashi, who took over Mirikitani's district in February, called the situation unfortunate.
"That's what happens when you don't follow the rules and the laws," she said.
Michelle Kidani, a former senior aide for Mansho who led an effort to hold an election to recall Mansho last year, did not want to comment on the charges or the possible sentence.
"I just feel very badly for her family for having to be put through all of this," she said. "It's now in the hands of the prosecutor and the judge.
"It's a very sad end to what should have been a long and fruitful public career for her," Kidani said.
Star-Bulletin reporter Gordon Pang
contributed to this report.
City & County of Honolulu
