Ethics, schmethics: The Honolulu Ethics Commission has gone from bad to worse in its efforts to hire a new executive director without letting the public in on the decision-making process. And what’s even worse is the way Deputy Corporation Counsel Duane Pang handled an encounter with two Civil Beat reporters who showed up at a commission side session trying to figure out what was going on. Pang, who works for the taxpayers after all, was shockingly deceitful and dismissive.
Last week, The Sunshine Blog pointed out that the Ethics Commission was proposing to interview and hire its new executive director in a secret executive session, a clear violation of the Hawaiʻi Sunshine Law, which requires hiring, firing and job reviews of important public officials be done in open session.
The Public First Law Center sent the commission a letter reminding members of the law’s requirements and urging them to conduct any interviews, deliberations and votes in public. “The residents of Honolulu have a legitimate interest in observing the selection process and understanding why the Commission selected a particular candidate for such a critical watchdog position at the City,” the letter said…