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The president of R.M. Towill Corp., a prominent engineering firm, has denied he wrote a letter alleging corruption by former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and two of his associates.
Russell Figueiroa, the firm’s president and a Hannemann supporter, posted a statement on the company’s website describing claims in the letter against Hannemann and others as "outright lies and negative innuendos."
The letter was immediately suspicious because of its amateur quality and the fact that Figueiroa’s name was misspelled.
William McCorriston, Figueiroa’s attorney, said Figueiroa decided to post last Friday’s statement because the letter had been widely circulated and had the potential to damage his reputation.
McCorriston said Figueiroa has discussed the apparent forgery with law enforcement. He said Figueiroa is also investigating who was behind the letter.
Both the Hannemann campaign for governor and former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Hannemann’s opponent in the Democratic primary, denounced the apparent forgery.
David Wilson, a spokesman for the Hannemann campaign, described the letter as "an organized hit."
"Clearly, where this is coming from, they are not the Boy Scouts of America," he said. "Boy Scouts know better."
Abercrombie, in a statement, called the letter "cowardly."
"This forged letter and any such acts like it are despicable, and the perpetrators should be caught and punished. They do nothing but harm to our entire community," he said.
