MISTAKES AND COVERUPS

Whether in Washington or Lihue, the cover- up is more serious than the original mistake. What began as a mistake by the Board of Ethics that could have been corrected fairly easily has ballooned into a cover-up that implicates the board, county attorney’s office, mayor, and council and raises numerous questions.

What prompted the Board of Ethics to give two former county officials now serving on a board/commission permission to violate the plain meaning of charter section 20.02D, which prohibits officers and employees from appearing in behalf of private interests before any county board, commission or agency, and to do so contrary to its own interpretation of 20.02D as set forth on page six of its handbook, “A Guide to Ethical Issues in the Kauai County Government”?

What prompted the board to keep secret an opinion it sought from the county attorney’s office in the second case that it purportedly used to justify its decision to dishonor its published policy? What authority could the county attorney have cited to justify ignoring or contravening 20.02D?

What prompted an attorney sitting on the Charter Commission to propose a charter amendment exempting board/commission members from the requirements of 20.02D as soon as the second case, which involved the chairman of the Charter Commission, became public? What prompted the Board of Ethics to then propose exempting everyone?

What prompted the council to turn a blind eye to the evidence I presented in support of my three requests over a period of five months for the council to exercise its oversight role by calling for a public accounting from the Board of Ethics?

In my opinion, a due regard for the Sunshine Law and for the stated purpose of the Code of Ethics to “establish a high standard of integrity and morality in government service” would lead to a full public discussion and resolution of these and other questions related to the administration and enforcement of the Code of Ethics. County officials seem to prefer secrecy and silence, perhaps hoping at this point that a charter amendment will make the questions disappear.

Horace Stoessel