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Eric Ryan wasn’t the only member of “Team Berg” told to pack up his stuff and get out earlier this month.

The episode reveals how Honolulu City Council member Tom Berg manages his staff. Berg threatened to dismiss a second staffer for failing to advocate for his policies in her position as an independently-elected member of the . He has since decided to keep her on the payroll.

In sent late on the evening of July 14 — with the subject line of “Celeste is being let go.” — Berg said the next day would be Celeste Lacuesta’s last as member of the team.

“Thank you for your involvement, but I need a team willing to speak up at board meetings and fight for the district,” Berg wrote shortly after of the Ewa Neighborhood Board. “Your behavior tonight to condone and say nothing to defend the Leeward Bikeway is reason for your dismissal.”

Here’s the full, unedited text:

Celeste- your last day is this Friday- you are no longer on the team after this Friday- tomorrow- July 15…..thank you for your service….but you are no longer needed and you are being released from duties. Thank you for your involvement, but I need a team willing to speak up at board meetings and fight for the district. Your behavior tonight to condone and say nothing to defend the Leeward Bikeway is reason for your dismissal- fyi- hope you understand and grasp the importance of hearing Espero state the leeward bikeway is a administration issue when it is not- Espero is the problem- it was your issue as a boardto defend the bikeway and you all failed us. I stood strong and voted to speak up for the leeward bikeway- but my own staff, at the time needed, failed us and refused to speak up. I need team players that will speak up for the bikeway and fight for it.

No ill-will Celeste between us- but, I cannot continue having staff support delaying the bikeway and must find staff that supports my agenda to fight for the bikeway and say something to that effect. I am really disappointed in your lack of conduct to fight with me to challenge and call out Espero for being the problem. You let me down big time.
MAHALO
Tom

The missive came roughly an hour after in which Berg said he was too “shocked” to go to work the following day. Here’s that unedited email, which came with a subject line that read “Cancel ALL Friday events for me”:

I am too shocked to attend any meetings with Celeste tomorrow-m Friday- Celeste- you go without me. I have to absorb and craft some stuff regarding the Leeward Bikeway on Friday….no one on the Ewa Board had the guts to call Espero out for voting YES to delaying the Leeward Bikeway- celeste rather kept asking to speak about bullshit and refused to defend the bikeway issue…I am puzzled why Celeste keeps propping up Matt Lopresti- Celeste also nominated Lopresti to be vice chair of the ENB….so at this time- I need to defend the Leeward Bikeway and work on the vote- the audio DVD we have to expose Espero since Celeste and Gollner refused to defend my vote and Espero’s voting to condone this delay of the bikeway- I need to stay home tomorrow and do my own letter /article writting to cover this
bikeway issue since Celeste and Gollner lack the guts to call Espero out….so no one bother me Friday- I have to fend for myself and my values and priorities- I am very disappointed in the ENB to play chicken shit games with Espero and failing to call him out for being the very one to consistently vote to delay the bikeway….for shame not one board member spoke up to challenge Espero and congratulate me for
standing up to defend the bikeway….I have to spend my Friday now crafting speeches and articles to mend what the ENB members failed to do….Celeste- do not pick me up tomorrow- I question your motives to elect and support Lopresti…..

Both emails were published to KymPineIsACrook.com by Ryan, Berg’s former chief of staff. Ryan was among the recipients of the emails despite the fact that Ryan was just 20 minutes later.

Matt LoPresti, treasurer of the Ewa board, told Civil Beat the idea that Berg would meddle in neighborhood board business is “utterly mystifying.” LoPresti ran against Berg in last year’s special election.

“If I read the emails correctly, it seems that Tom Berg fired a staff member because she failed to do what he wanted her to in her capacity as a duly elected official,” LoPresti wrote in an email to Civil Beat. “It’s as if he is either (a) admitting that he is abusing his power by trying to control the speech of an independent elected figure in our community by way of threats and intimidation, or worse, (b) that he was paying her as a staff member to act on his behalf on our neighborhood board.

“Furthermore, if she still does work for him, then does that mean she’s agreed to his terms? For the sake of our community, I pray that this is not the case,” LoPresti wrote.

While Ryan’s termination stuck — Berg signed the paperwork in front of Civil Beat, an event captured in the photograph at the top of this story — Lacuesta’s did not. A woman identifying herself as Lacuesta answered the City Council phone number listed for her this week, and said she was never let go.

“At this time, I don’t want to make any comments,” she said. “All I can tell you is that I was never terminated.”

Asked about the incident via email, Berg said only that “Celeste is correct.” A follow-up email asking Berg if he and Lacuesta discussed her role with the neighborhood board and if he expects employees to support his policy initiatives was not returned. A phone message was also not returned, and when this reporter went to the Honolulu City Council office at noon on Tuesday after waiting outside for three hours, I was told Berg’s office was dark and locked and that he had yet to come to the office.

Berg could be bracing himself for potential fallout from the Ryan fiasco. Deputy Chief of Staff Philmund Lee repeatedly warned Berg in Civil Beat’s presence about a potential wrongful termination lawsuit, which Ryan has threatened on his website. Gemma Espresion, another Berg staffer, told Civil Beat Tuesday that the matter was referred to the city’s lawyers as potential litigation. Corporation Counsel Bob Godbey said he wouldn’t comment on the matter.

The Lacuesta emails and near-firing could land Berg in hot water if the Honolulu Ethics Commission decides that putting pressure on a city employee and meddling in the workings of an independent neighborhood board amount to an abuse of his power as a member of the City Council or an . Ethics Commission Executive Director and Legal Counsel Chuck Totto said he would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation unless Civil Beat had already obtained a copy of a complaint filed with the Commission.

Read earlier coverage of Tom Berg’s troubles with employees:

• Ryan Exacts His Revenge, Reveals Berg ‘Corruption’
• Berg Fires Chief of Staff Amid Attacks on State Rep
• Top Council Aide Behind Hacking of Hawaii Rep’s Website, Email