Romy Cachola Voter Fraud Allegations Demand An Investigation
The voters in his Kalihi state House district — and all of Hawaii — must finally know whether the legislator is a crook.
Hawaii residents cite a number of reasons for not voting, including that one party dominates local politics.
Consider the possibility, however, that there are people who do vote but mainly to ensure that their medical care does not suddenly cease.
That is the awful scenario at the heart of a lawsuit filed Monday that alleges state Rep. Romy Cachola “intimidates voters and interferes with the elective franchise by directly asking for votes from those seeking essential healthcare services.”
Even more shocking is that these patients, many of them apparently vulnerable immigrants who speak limited English, are receiving the services at the medical clinic run by Cachola’s wife. The clinic is also Cachola’s campaign headquarters.
“Voting for Cachola is a matter of life and death for some voters in Kalihi Kai,” the suit alleges.
We don’t know if Cachola, a Democrat who previously served on the Honolulu City Council and is on his second stint in the state House of Representatives, is guilty of such crimes. But it is certainly odd that he managed to squeak out a 51-vote victory over fellow Democrat Sonny Ganaden in the early morning hours following the Aug. 11 primary. Something smells funny.
Cachola has been accused of voter fraud and coercion several times before. When he agreed to pay $50,000 in a settlement with the Honolulu City Ethics Commission just four years ago, then-executive director Chuck Totto called it the largest civil fine ever approved by the commission.
“This case is a perfect storm of public corruption,” Totto said of the inquiry, which focused on Cachola’s alleged acceptance of unlawful gifts and accusations that he misused his city vehicle fund.
Earlier that same year, in July 2014, Cachola agreed to pay almost $2,500 in fines and personally reimburse his campaign account more than $32,000 following an eight-month investigation by the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission. Cachola was charged with failure to reimburse his campaign for the personal use of a Nissan Pathfinder that he paid for with campaign funds, and improper expenditures he classified as “public relations” and “food and beverages.”
Cachola has not commented publicly on the latest allegations, but he has hired the same attorney, Michael Green, who helped him settle the earlier ethics flap.
What Cachola is facing now is far more serious, as it possibly involves people’s lives. Our public officials and law enforcement agencies can no longer ignore what has been persistently whispered about for decades from Kalihi Kai to the halls of power.
We agree with the complaint where it states:
“Failing to investigate the allegations described herein would prospectively cause a further erosion of public trust in our sacred voting process, and continued violations of Hawaii law by other members of the legislature, as voter fraud is a crime that disenfranchises our very democracy.”
The Hawaii Supreme Court should order a briefing and allow the 47 John and Jane Doe voters filing the complaint to collect and present evidence. The ballots and voter registration forms need to be examined, to see if there are dead people who voted and how the forms overlap with the records of patients at the medical clinic.
This warrants the immediate involvement of the Hawaii Attorney General and the FBI. The Hawaii State Ethics Commission may need to be part of the investigation as well.
And House Speaker Scott Saiki is obligated to have his chamber conduct its own inquiry. At minimum, the 47 people whose names are sealed in the complaint require legal protection against retaliation.
Only after all this is done can the voters of District 30 — as well as the people of Hawaii — know for certain whether Romy Cachola is a crook.
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