Overseeing the ethical behavior of Hawaiʻi government officials has always been a balancing act for the commissions and boards charged with the task.
Focus too much on investigating complaints and meting out punishment to a few individuals and you might shortchange the opportunity to educate a lot more officials about ethical behavior in general.
Over-emphasize the administrative stuff such as inspecting officials’ financial disclosures and responding to questions and you’ll end up light on enforcement and create the perception that bad behavior doesn’t have consequences…