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Elections Commission deadlocks on OIP appeals alleging chair removed commissioner; approves AG letter on minutes
Summary
The Elections Commission considered multiple Office of Information Practices appeals accusing the chair of muting and removing a commissioner and of denying public testimony; motions to adopt the deputy attorney general's responses failed on several appeals, but the commission later approved the attorney general's letter regarding meeting minutes.
The Elections Commission on Oct. 1 considered a string of Office of Information Practices appeals alleging violations of Hawaii's Sunshine Law, including claims that the chair muted and removed a sitting commissioner during meetings and that the commission did not allow public testimony on a contested agenda item.
The commission debated deputy attorney general (DAG) Ching's written responses to multiple appeals (listed in the meeting as appeals 26-10, 26-13, 26-07 and 26-15). DAG Ching told the commission that one of the issues "relates to allegations from the August 27 meeting" and that his office had found the earlier meeting "did not provide the opportunity for the public to provide testimony on agenda item 4," but he said that harm was mitigated because the public was permitted to testify at a subsequent meeting.
Commissioner Cushni, who brought the appeals, said the DAG's approach was insufficient.…
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