By TOM CALLIS
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Jamae Kawauchi is fighting back.
The Hawaii County clerk said in an interview Friday she will email Gov. Neil Abercrombie today requesting the state Office of Elections be placed back under the oversight of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
Kawauchi said the state office needs more accountability and is harming the electoral process with what she characterized as personal and politically-motivated attacks on her management of the Hawaii County Elections Office.
She referenced the highly critical report the state office issued Thursday regarding the Big Island’s Aug. 11 primary election, noting she was left in the dark about the investigation and was not given a copy.
“It’s very personal and it’s inappropriate,” she said.
“Obviously the commission is not managing that office very well.”
The state office’s report solely blamed Kawauchi for the delayed opening of several polling places and said she failed to adequately manage operations on election day and communicate problems to the state.
“Essentially, the County Clerk on election day is supposed to be like a field general with a plan of attack, who acts confidently, and has the support of his or her troops,” the report said in its frank assessment. “The County Clerk was in no way, shape, or form that type of leader.”
Kawauchi disagreed with that characterization, noting she has the support of her staff, and said the criticism is biased and crosses the line of professionalism.
Asked about the motivation for the criticism, she referenced a letter state Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago sent to Mayor Billy Kenoi regarding the firing of elections staff.
“The only thing I can tell you is that he wrote that letter to the mayor,” she said.
Kawauchi fired Elections Office Administrator Pat Nakamoto, warehouse manager Glen Shikuma and two other employees in January following an investigation that alleged drinking, storage of alcohol and running a private business out of the county elections warehouse on Makaala Street. Nakamoto has since been reinstated after a grievance process conducted by the administration and is on indefinite paid leave.
Nago, writing as a private individual on April 17, praised Nakamoto’s work and urged Kenoi not to recuse himself from the labor dispute.
“It seems Scott Nago has a personal reason to have a problem with me,” Kawauchi said, “but it’s reaching a point where it’s affecting our work and it’s affecting the public. It’s not our business to take out our own personal issues using public resources.”
Nakamoto reportedly is in a live-in relationship with former state Chief Elections Officer Dwayne Yoshina, Nago’s former boss.
In an interview Thursday, Rex Quidilla, head of state Voters Services Section, denied that had anything to do with agency’s harsh criticism of Kawauchi.
The state elections office was closed Friday for the holiday and representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.
Kawauchi admitted that mistakes were made last Saturday but added the state office’s response has turned her into a scapegoat and has been counterproductive.
“I want us to work as a team,” she said of the state and county elections offices.
Kawauchi said she isn’t filing a complaint with the state Elections Commission due to concern over its objectivity.
The state office began its investigation on Tuesday after being unable to get more information on Big Island polling places that opened late.
Kawauchi said she needed to double check that information before releasing it. She plans to finish her check and release the information Sunday morning.
Rather than wait, the state office on Tuesday chose to tabulate the information itself, which it released with its report on Thursday.
It listed 13 late openings, with nine polling places starting at least 10 minutes late. Two opened as late as 8:40 a.m., far past the scheduled 7 a.m. start.
Kawauchi, while downplaying the election day hiccups as impossible to always avoid, apologized for the delays, mainly caused by polling books and voter rolls being misdelivered.
“I accept responsibility. I’m sorry for it,” she said.
Kawauchi characterized the misdeliveries as a failure in execution, noting that a plan was in place.
On election day, the county Elections Office was also short six people.
Kawauchi said they included permanent and temporary workers. Some were absent on sick leave, others for “separation.”
Kawauchi declined to comment further, noting the corporation counsel has advised her not to discuss personnel matters.
County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong said Thursday he knew of two employees on sick leave, including acting Elections Office Administrator Arlene Boteilho.
Kawauchi said other employees were trained to handle their duties, and the staff shortage didn’t impact the election.
The County Council will discuss the election day mishaps on Monday.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.