An ethics complaint, filed against the county auditor by a citizen whistleblower, exposes a persistent pattern of abuse by county attorneys with corporation counsel, at the expense of citizen taxpayers.

County attorneys are supposed to protect the county residents, and mitigate liability against the county, right? In theory, yes. In practice, it is entirely the opposite.

Over and over, they expose the county to greater liability defending bad actors. Moreover, those who are unfortunate enough to go to work for that department end up going to the dark side.

The Maui County Department of the Corporation Counsel, for decades and to present time, routinely defend their own and other county officials’ misconduct.

They are what former councilmember and mayor Michael Victorino called “The 300-pound gorilla in the room.”

They historically intimidate, mislead and deceive councilmembers, mayors and residents alike.

A whistleblower lawsuit and now this ethics complaint expose how corporation counsel and directors of both Public Works and Planning Departments, all work together with engineering firms and private developers to defraud Maui County.

Maui Board of Ethics itself is advised by Department of the Corporation Counsel attorneys, among whom I have found to be the most unethical, self-serving conflicted attorneys in Hawaii.

The fix is in.

Kihei