A former aide to the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye has chosen U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s Democratic primary campaign for Senate over a corporate government relations job.
Peter Boylan, a former deputy chief of staff to Inouye, has resigned as a senior manager for Time Warner Cable in Washington, D.C. He will serve as communications director for Hanabusa’s campaign against U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.
Boylan contends that Senate leadership, prodded by Schatz’s allies, complained to Time Warner about what had previously been his voluntary role in the Hanabusa campaign.
Schatz serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the cable industry.
"These kinds of tactics have no place in Hawaii, and it is one of the many reasons I am very excited and motivated to help elect Colleen to the U.S. Senate," Boylan said in an email. "I truly believe that Colleen is the right person for this job and I couldn’t devote just my free time to this campaign. I needed to go all in."
Andy Winer, Schatz’s chief of staff, denied that Schatz’s office prompted Senate leadership to complain to Time Warner about Boylan.
"The accusation is false. Period," he said.
The communications office for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., did not immediately respond to an email sent Thursday about the matter.
Reid and other top Senate Democrats have supported Schatz, who was appointed in December to replace Inouye. The late senator had wanted Gov. Neil Abercrombie to select Hanabusa.
Boylan’s wife, Ashley Nagaoka, is a spokeswoman for Hanabusa’s congressional office.
