Election officials’ lawsuits allege defamation, negligence

The Hawaii County elections administrator and a former senior elections clerk, who were fired in January, have filed separate defamation and negligence lawsuits against County Clerk Jamae Kawa­uchi, Council Chairman Domi­nic Yagong, the county and a private investigator.

Elections Administrator Patricia Naka­moto, who was reinstated in July but placed on administrative leave shortly thereafter, and former Senior Elections Clerk Shyla Ayau filed lawsuits Wednesday in Circuit Court on Hawaii island.

Kawauchi, who ran the Hawaii island primary election without an elections administrator, has been criticized for problems, including the late opening of more than a dozen precincts.

Nakamoto, Ayau and county employees Glen Shi­kuma and Elton Naka­gawa were fired for activities at an elections warehouse. Three have been reinstated, and Shi­kuma, who died Aug. 21, had an arbitration scheduled for October.

The plaintiffs allege Kawa­uchi and Yagong leaked false information to the media and used pseudonyms on online blogs about details contained in an investigation done by a private investigator who was hired by Yagong.

The lawsuits allege defamation, invasion of privacy, putting the plaintiffs in a false light and negligent investigation and infliction of emotional distress.

Kawauchi and Yagong declined to comment on the allegations.