Grand jury Honolulu Police arrested an Ewa woman who failed to show up at last week's grand jury hearing into Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' 2000 political campaign.
witness arrested
She had been called to
testify before a panel probing
Harris' campaign financesBy Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.comHPD arrested 32-year-old Lisa Katherine Otsuka Monday afternoon on one count of criminal contempt of court. She was released after she posted $10,000 bail.
Otsuka -- who was subpoenaed as a witness by the 13-member grand jury -- could not be reached. The prosecutor's office declined comment. Her attorney, Michael J. Green, declined comment.
William McCorriston, Harris' attorney, said Otsuka has no connections to the mayor's political campaign or to the city administration. "Mayor Harris doesn't even know her," McCorriston said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the mayor or the campaign."
Harris' filings with the state Campaign Spending Commission list no contributions from Otsuka nor do they mention any expenditures to her. According to state business records, Otsuka is not linked to any of the city contractors or political donors who are under investigation by the prosecutor's office or the state Campaign Spending Commission.
However, the prosecutor's office is looking at Otsuka's alleged link to a May 31, 2000, Bank of Hawaii cashier's check for $31,208.
The Harris campaign's public filings say that the cashier's check was sent to a company known as Campaign Service Inc., but people familiar with the investigation said that the prosecutor's office is looking at whether any of the money went to Otsuka. Campaign Services is a polling and political research firm whose officers include Harris supporters Harry Mattson and Norma Wong.
Wong said yesterday that she doesn't know Otsuka and that Otsuka was never around the Harris campaign. She declined further comment.
A person familiar with the investigation said that the prosecutor's office interviewed Wong several weeks ago.
State business registration records list Otsuka as president of a downtown company known as Aloha Manicure & Pedicure Inc. She also serves as secretary and director of Drivers Foundation, a Makiki-based nonprofit company that promotes driver safety.
A search into Otsuka's background turned up several lawsuits in Hawaii and New York state.
In March, her former landlord, Patricia Chang, sued Otsuka and her mother, Patricia Kushi, in state District Court for eviction. Chang alleged that the couple failed to pay rent on a Manoa home. A state judge later ordered Otsuka and Kushi to pay more than $9,000 in back rent, interest and repair costs.
Otsuka and Earl Huang, who heads a construction company known as Allied General Contracting, are the subject of a separate July 2002 suit by the real estate management firm of Property Solutions Inc.
The suit alleged that Otsuka and Huang, who serves as president of Drivers Foundation, owed $3,400 in back rent and $5,900 on a promissory note they signed. Otsuka and Huang rented an Ewa Beach home from Property Solutions, which also granted them an option to purchase the home.
In 1994, a New York Civil Court judge awarded $19,000 to creditor Hinman Co., which sued Otsuka for an unpaid promissory note. Jeffrey Maidenbaum, an attorney for Hinman, said that the company never collected.