THE CARROLL COX SHOW

NEWS AND COMMENTARY

 

 
 

 

 

ONGOING INVESTIGATION

City and County Employees Working on Hannemann Campaign

I have spoken with executive secretaries from a city department confirming allegation they were being used by Mufi Hannemann to work in his campagn headquarters.  When asked how they were being compensated they said they "would rather not say".  The secretaries are routinely scheduled 9-5 on staggered, rotating days.  They are also required to wave signs  (listen to audio).  We  filed an ethics complaint asking for a full inquiry.  Following is the complaint,  my letter to Acting Mayor Kirck Caldwell asking for assistance, and his followup response.   Stay tuned for more information.

Hannemann press conference - outside his campaign headquarters

 
   

Inside Hannemann's Campaign Headquarters

 

COMPLAINT TO ETHICS COMMISSION:

Honolulu Ethics Commission
715 South King St., Suite 211
Honolulu, HI 96813

                                                                                                           July 28, 2010

Dear Honolulu Ethics Commission Members:
 
 I wish to submit this letter as my formal complaint against the following people:  (1) Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann; (2) Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell; (3) the Directors of the City and County of Honolulu's Departments of Customer Services, Design and Construction, Enterprise Services and/or others.

More specifically, I have reliable and confirmed information that former Mayor Mufi Hannemann and former City Managing Director Kirk Caldwell knowingly used non-civil service secretaries ("exempt positions") from various City and County of Honolulu Departments to work on Hannemann's 2010 campaign at Hannemann's Beretania Street headquarters. These City employees were routinely assigned and rotated by their Directors and Deputy Directors to conduct campaign work for the Hannemann campaign.  I am also informed that these workers were required to wave campaign signs for Hannemann during official working hours.
  
 In support of my complaint and request for an investigation, I would like to submit the following information and questions:   
 
 1.  What are the dates city and county of Honolulu employees have worked at the Hannemann campaign headquarters on Beretania Street, and are they still working on the campaign?
  
 2.  What duties were these employees performing?
  
 3.  Who scheduled them to work at the headquarters?  (Some of the workers have stated that they were assigned and scheduled to work on alternating days from 9 am to 5 pm)
  
 4.  How did the secretaries and/or other city employees become aware of the need for workers at the Hannemann campaign headquarters?
  
 5.   How were the city employees compensated for their work at the headquarters?
  
 6.   Were the city employees allowed to choose which politician's campaign they could work on?
  
 7.   Did the city workers feel coerced to work on the Hannemann campaign?
  
  8.  Were the city workers given the right to refuse work on the campaign if they chose not to work on the Hannemann campaign?
  
 9.  Were other politicians given the opportunity to use the city employees for their campaigns?
  
 10.   Who performed the city employees'  duties during their absence from their official jobs?
  
 11.   Which city departments do the city employees working on the Hannemann campaign work for?  (We know that workers from the departments of Enterprise Services, Design and Construction, and Customer Services were routinely assigned to work on the Hannemann campaign.)
  
  12.  Did the Directors of these City departments give their approval for their employees to work on the Hannemann campaign?
  
  13.  What roles did former mayor Mufi Hannemann, the former Managing Director (Kirk Caldwell) and the deputy Managing Director (Trudi Saito) play?
  
  14.  Was clearance from the Ethics Commission sought prior to this use of City workers for the Hannemann campaign?
  
  15.  I am also asking your assistance in obtaining an explanation from Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell as to why the mayor's office personnel would be providing the general public the telephone number to the Hannemann campaign headquarters.    We have documented this practice occurring.
  
  I am very concerned that Acting Mayor Caldwell sent out a memo to all City employees on July 21, 2010, advising that city workers should not work on campaigns or use city equipment/resources during official working hours, only days after our inquiry to the Ethics Commission and City offices about this matter.

As you know, the campaign for governor is in full swing.    Therefore, it is imperative that your office immediately initiate and conclude an investigation into this matter without any delay.   
Please contact me at the address above.
  
  
 Thank you,
  
  Carroll Cox

 

LETTER TO CALDWELL:

                                               THE CARROLL COX SHOW
                                                P.O.BOX 89-4202
                                                MILILANI, HI  96789

                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                           July 22, 2010
Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell
530 South King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Dear Acting Mayor Caldwell:

I respectfully seek your assistance in obtaining information on activities involving the use of City and County of Honolulu employees who are working at the Mufi Hannemann Gubernatorial Headquarters on Beretania Street, and have been working at the headquarters building since it opened.   

More specifically, I have reliable and confirmed information that you and former Mayor Mufi Hannemann, in your official capacities, knowingly used non-civil service secretaries (“exempt positions”) from various City and County of Honolulu Departments to work on Hannemann's 2010 campaign at Hannemann's campaign headquarters. These City employees were routinely assigned and rotated by their Directors and Deputy Directors to conduct campaign work for the Hannemann campaign.  I am also informed that these workers were required to wave campaign signs for Hannemann during official working hours.

To help you in providing me with a timely response, I would like to suggest that you start interviewing the appointed secretaries at the following City Departments: Design and Construction, Department of Customer Services, and Department of Enterprise Services.

I am requesting that you provide me with the full names of all city employees you have authorized to work on the Hannemann's 2010 campaign, all documents relating to leave/vacation taken by these employees to work on the campaign, the type of compensation provided to these employees for working on the campaign, and the names of individuals hired to replace these workers while they were away from their official duties.

 I will be discussing this matter on my radio show, and kindly request that the requested information be provided to me via email at carroll@carrollcox.com by close of business July 23, 2010.

Thank you,

Carroll E. Cox

 

CALDWELL'S RESPONSE:

Dear Mr. Cox:

Any activities performed by City employees related to any political campaign are conducted during non-work time.

Please see the attached memo which was distributed to City employees on July 21, 2010.

City employees are not required to report to the City Administration any activities conducted on their personal time.

Therefore, the City has no documents responsive to your request.

Sincerely,

KirkCaldwell, Acting Mayor, City andCounty ofHonolulu 

 

Link to attached memo