Kawika Lopez/Civil Beat/2024
At Honolulu’s Troubled Permitting Department, There Are Signs Of Hope
People have been waiting way too long for permits, with many applications literally taking years, but city data suggests the system is gaining speed.
Hawaiian Native Corp. photo
Native Hawaiian Contractor Chris Dawson Has Died While Under Investigation
Christopher Dawson, the founder of the Dawson family of companies, died by suicide as he faced potential criminal charges for alleged financial crimes.
The FBI Continues To Stall On Releasing Hawaii Lawmakers’ Bribery Investigations
Civil Beat has been trying to get the investigative files on public officials convicted of bribery for more than a year.
Screenshot
Maui Economic Director’s Business Associate Got Contracts From Her County Office
Luana Mahi may have recused herself from decisions involving the contracts but she still signed off or recommended approval of contracts.
Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024
Maui Economic Development Director Placed On Paid Leave Pending Ethics Investigation
There’s an ongoing review of grants administered by the Office of Economic Development under director Luana Mahi.
Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024
A Maui County Appointee Oversaw Grants To Nonprofits Tied To Her Family Members
Details of the grant awards and conflicts of interest were contained in a redacted ethics advisory opinion in July.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024
Investigating Political Corruption With Former NYT Top Editor Dean Baquet
Learn what it takes to pull off an investigation into public corruption.
Phillip Jung for The New York Times
Convicted Hawaii Businessman Milton Choy Has Died In Custody At A North Carolina Facility
The manner and cause of his death are still not known.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024
Target Of Mitsunaga Theft Case Files Civil Rights Lawsuit
The case was unsuccessful in criminal court, but civil cases have a lower standard of proof.
Inside The Kaneshiro, Mitsunaga Bribery Trial Verdict. What’s Next?
Federal prosecutors take a case to trial and lose in less than 1% of cases. So what happened in one of Hawaii’s most high-profile corruption trials?