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WAILUKU >> The Maui County Board of Ethics has dismissed complaints filed last month against a county council member concerning his ties to the visitor industry.
Mike White’s office announced Friday that the board has rejected claims that he acted improperly when he advocated in council meetings for increased funding for the Maui Visitors Bureau.
The complaints said White’s continued role as general manager of the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel and his former position on the visitors bureau board represent a conflict of interest.
One of the people who filed the complaints was Kai Nishiki, who ran unsuccessfully against White in the 2010 election.
In an email to the Maui News, Nishiki called the ethics board’s decision inconsistent. She says other council members who serve on nonprofit boards have been asked not to vote on grants and legislation affecting those agencies.
