Hawaiʻi Corruption Investigations

Councilman Wants A Piece Of The Action In Picking Police Commissioners Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Councilman Wants A Piece Of The Action In Picking Police Commissioners

Ikaika Anderson seeks to change the selection process for the Honolulu police and fire commissions, whose members are now mayoral appointees.

Did Honolulu Police Go Too Far In The Case Of This Man’s Death? Submitted

Did Honolulu Police Go Too Far In The Case Of This Man’s Death?

Sheldon Haleck died after a struggle with police in 2015. He was on meth. He refused to get out of the road. Police say they took appropriate actions.

New Kealoha Defense Tactic: Going After ‘Mainland Prosecutors’ Nick Grube/Civil Beat

New Kealoha Defense Tactic: Going After ‘Mainland Prosecutors’

A federal judge pushed back the trial date until June due to the complexity of the case and sheer volume of the evidence.

Ex-Cop Sentenced For Helping Prostitute In Exchange For Sex Department of Public Safety

Ex-Cop Sentenced For Helping Prostitute In Exchange For Sex

Judge cites “abuse of your position of power” in sentencing Maulia LaBarre to six months behind bars.

Caldwell Nominates Former TV Executive For Police Commission City and County of Honolulu

Caldwell Nominates Former TV Executive For Police Commission

Dick Grimm, who worked at three local stations, would be the mayor’s sixth appointment to the seven-member board.

New HPD Chief Shares Her Goals For A Department In Turmoil Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

New HPD Chief Shares Her Goals For A Department In Turmoil

Susan Ballard outlined what she wants to accomplish in the coming years in her first regular meeting with the Honolulu Police Commission.

Kealohas Get New Defense Attorneys In Federal Conspiracy Case Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Kealohas Get New Defense Attorneys In Federal Conspiracy Case

The couple could no longer afford to pay their long-time lawyers to defend them in one of the largest public corruption cases in Hawaii history.

Judge: Kealohas Are Too Broke To Pay For Their Own Defense Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge: Kealohas Are Too Broke To Pay For Their Own Defense

UPDATED: A federal judge will assign new, publicly funded counsel to represent the former Honolulu police chief and his prosecutor wife.

Judge To Kealohas: Show Me Your Finances Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge To Kealohas: Show Me Your Finances

A federal judge says he won’t consider taxpayer-funded attorneys for the former Honolulu chief and his prosecutor wife until he verifies their financial situation.

Neal Milner: This ‘Power Couple’ Is Not So Cool Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Neal Milner: This ‘Power Couple’ Is Not So Cool

They’re the  center of attention, sure, but the ex-police chief and his deputy prosecutor wife probably aren’t enjoying their celebrity status.

The Case Against Katherine Kealoha Just Keeps Getting Worse Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The Case Against Katherine Kealoha Just Keeps Getting Worse

A new FBI report says the now-indicted prosecutor leaned on a witness to help cover up alleged criminal activity in a private guardianship case.

Kealoha Attorneys Want Out Of Corruption Case Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Kealoha Attorneys Want Out Of Corruption Case

The three defense attorneys say the Kealohas can’t afford to pay them.

Criminal Case Against Kealohas Puts Brakes On Uncle’s Suit Submitted

Criminal Case Against Kealohas Puts Brakes On Uncle’s Suit

The lawsuit filed by Gerard Puana will have to wait while the case against his niece and her husband continues, a judge rules.

Officer Charged In Corruption Case Challenges Police Commission Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Officer Charged In Corruption Case Challenges Police Commission

Minh-Hung “Bobby” Nguyen says the city should be paying for his legal defense against a related lawsuit.

Explosive Motion Calls For Ouster Of Kealoha Attorneys Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Explosive Motion Calls For Ouster Of Kealoha Attorneys

The Justice Department claims conflicts of interest should disqualify defense attorneys Myles Breiner and Kevin Sumida.

What’s At The Center Of The Case Against The Kealohas? Bank Fraud Stewart Yerton/Civil Beat

What’s At The Center Of The Case Against The Kealohas? Bank Fraud

The former HPD chief and his prosecutor wife are accused of using various methods, from forged documents to bogus rental leases, to defraud banks.

Ian Lind: It Turns Out We Owe Chuck Totto A Big Thank-You PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Ian Lind: It Turns Out We Owe Chuck Totto A Big Thank-You

Federal indictments in the Honolulu police corruption case vindicate the former ethics director but raise questions about the Caldwell administration.

Judge Dismisses Suit Challenging Secret Meetings About Police Chief Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge Dismisses Suit Challenging Secret Meetings About Police Chief

The Police Commission didn’t have to go behind closed doors to talk about Louis Kealoha’s future, but it had the right, the judge ruled.

Three Officers Plead Not Guilty In Honolulu Police Corruption Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Three Officers Plead Not Guilty In Honolulu Police Corruption Case

The charges relate to the alleged framing of a man at the behest of the former police chief and his prosecutor wife.

Some Of Our Best Reporting On Honolulu Police Misconduct Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Some Of Our Best Reporting On Honolulu Police Misconduct

The federal indictments of the former police chief and his wife aren’t the only troubles at the HPD.

A Look At The Business Execs Up For Seats On Honolulu Police Commission Cory Lum/Civil Beat

A Look At The Business Execs Up For Seats On Honolulu Police Commission

The City Council is set to vote Wednesday on Mayor Caldwell’s nominees, who would join the oversight panel amid a corruption scandal at HPD.

Susan Ballard To Be Sworn In Wednesday As Honolulu Police Chief Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Susan Ballard To Be Sworn In Wednesday As Honolulu Police Chief

The 32-year veteran will be first woman to lead the police department in its 85-year history.

Former HPD Police Chief Gets New Criminal Defense Attorney Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Former HPD Police Chief Gets New Criminal Defense Attorney

Las Vegas attorney Gary Modafferi, who was once convicted of drug charges and disbarred, will represent Louis Kealoha in an ongoing criminal conspiracy case.

Lawyers Want Review Of Cases Handled By Indicted Officials AP

Lawyers Want Review Of Cases Handled By Indicted Officials

As Honolulu police scandal unfolds, defense attorneys want the city’s top prosecutor to review cases that the defendants were involved in.

Jim Dooley: Secrecy, Unwavering Loyalty A Recipe For Police Corruption Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

Jim Dooley: Secrecy, Unwavering Loyalty A Recipe For Police Corruption

The unique characteristics of HPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit have led to recurring scandals that go back nearly 5o years.

Here’s Our Advice For Our New Police Chief Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Here’s Our Advice For Our New Police Chief

If Susan Ballard wants to regain the public’s trust, she needs to start trusting the public.

HPD Corruption Case: Who Is Alison Lee Wong? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

HPD Corruption Case: Who Is Alison Lee Wong?

The feds say Honolulu prosecutor Katherine Kealoha used the alias of “Alison Lee Wong” to help carry out alleged crimes.

Susan Ballard Picked As New Honolulu Police Chief Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Susan Ballard Picked As New Honolulu Police Chief

UPDATED: Police commissioners unanimously chose the veteran HPD major from among seven finalists.

Covert Honolulu Police Unit Has Long History Of Troubles Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Covert Honolulu Police Unit Has Long History Of Troubles

The CIU is again under scrutiny, with five officers recently arrested as part of a federal investigation into police corruption.

High Court Rejects Media Complaint About Police Commission Secrecy Cory Lum/Civil Beat

High Court Rejects Media Complaint About Police Commission Secrecy

The legal challenge was made to ensure that the public has access to hearings for Honolulu cops who want taxpayer help.

The Children’s Trust Fund At The Heart Of The Kealoha Indictment Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The Children’s Trust Fund At The Heart Of The Kealoha Indictment

Federal prosecutors say Katherine Kealoha stole almost $150,000 from two children for whom she was appointed guardian.

Interviews For Next Honolulu Police Chief Begin Amid Growing Scandal Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Interviews For Next Honolulu Police Chief Begin Amid Growing Scandal

The top federal public defender calls for the Honolulu Police Commission to start over with the selection process.

Let’s Scrap The Police Chief Search And Start Over Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Let’s Scrap The Police Chief Search And Start Over

The indictments of Louis Kealoha, his wife and five former or current officers changes the critical task before the Honolulu Police Commission.

How Far Will The Honolulu Police Corruption Investigation Spread? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

How Far Will The Honolulu Police Corruption Investigation Spread?

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its grand jury investigation into corruption and abuse of power.

A Guide To The Case Against The Kealohas Cory Lum/Civil Beat

A Guide To The Case Against The Kealohas

The former Honolulu police chief and his wife, a city prosecutor, have pleaded not guilty to the charges contained in a federal indictment.

Former Honolulu Police Chief And Prosecutor Wife Arrested Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Former Honolulu Police Chief And Prosecutor Wife Arrested

UPDATED: Louis and Katherine Kealoha, the center of a years-long investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of abuse of power and public corruption.

FBI Reveals New Details About The Alleged Honolulu Police Conspiracy Cory Lum/Civil Beat

FBI Reveals New Details About The Alleged Honolulu Police Conspiracy

A police lieutenant is the latest arrest in the unfolding story of alleged corruption in the Honolulu Police Department.

Third HPD Officer Arrested As Part Of Corruption Investigation Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Third HPD Officer Arrested As Part Of Corruption Investigation

Derek Hahn, a lieutenant in the Criminal Intelligence Division, was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday.

Questions Surface Over Integrity Of HPD Chief Candidate Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

Questions Surface Over Integrity Of HPD Chief Candidate

A well-known former Hawaii judge is raising a red flag about Honolulu police chief finalist Tommy Aiu. But no one will talk about what’s behind it.

Two Honolulu Cops Face Felony Charges In Corruption Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Two Honolulu Cops Face Felony Charges In Corruption Case

UPDATED: Both men made initial court appearances Monday after being charged in the two-year-long Justice Department investigation.

FBI Arrests Two Allegedly Tied To Honolulu Police Corruption Probe Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

FBI Arrests Two Allegedly Tied To Honolulu Police Corruption Probe

More details are expected to be revealed once the men are arraigned on Monday.

Honolulu Police Commission Picks Seven Finalists For Chief Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat/2017

Honolulu Police Commission Picks Seven Finalists For Chief

UPDATED: Four of the seven are current or former HPD officers, and only two are from outside Hawaii. There is one female finalist.

Outspoken Honolulu Police Commissioners Just Got More Power Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Outspoken Honolulu Police Commissioners Just Got More Power

Loretta Sheehan and Steven Levinson have often been shut down by their colleagues, but a recent resignation changes the math.

Kealoha’s Quest For City To Pay His Legal Fees Takes A Nasty Turn Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Kealoha’s Quest For City To Pay His Legal Fees Takes A Nasty Turn

The former Honolulu chief’s attorney accused a police commissioner of breaking the law, but then she fought back.

News Outlets Challenge Honolulu Police Commission Secrecy Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

News Outlets Challenge Honolulu Police Commission Secrecy

Civil Beat and the Star-Advertiser have teamed up in an effort to make sure the public has access to hearings for officers who want taxpayers to foot their legal bills.

How A Police Officer’s Complaints About HPD Corruption Went Viral Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

How A Police Officer’s Complaints About HPD Corruption Went Viral

Denny Santiago says he’s worried about being ostracized for speaking out about the Kealoha scandal to the Police Commission.

Honolulu’s Search For A New Police Chief Down To 9 Candidates Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Honolulu’s Search For A New Police Chief Down To 9 Candidates

The process to replace Louis Kealoha, who resigned after being named as the target of a corruption investigation, has taken longer than anticipated.

Grand Jury Probe Zeroes In On ‘Safe House’ Property Deal Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Grand Jury Probe Zeroes In On ‘Safe House’ Property Deal

Several people were asked to testify recently about a land deal involving Honolulu prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and a politically active real estate investor.

Fighting Back: This Former Navy Officer Isn’t Rolling Over In The Fat Leonard Bribery Case U.S. Marine Corps, Pacific

Fighting Back: This Former Navy Officer Isn’t Rolling Over In The Fat Leonard Bribery Case

The widening criminal investigation into Malaysian defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis has already ensnared dozens of top naval officers, many from the Hawaii-based Pacific Command.

Judge Blasts Honolulu Prosecutors Over Handling Of Theft Case Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Judge Blasts Honolulu Prosecutors Over Handling Of Theft Case

She said a private company appeared to have “orchestrated the vast majority of the investigation” of its former employee.