Lawyers review election fraud claims

HILO » Prosecutors are considering whether to file charges against a former County Council candidate on Hawaii island who was accused of voting irregularities.

Hawaii County prosecutors have taken the case after police completed an investigation into alleged voting irregularities by Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a candidate for Council District 5 last year.

Edwards Hunt contends the allegations cost her the November general election. She lost to Daniel Paleka by 274 votes.

Edwards Hunt was accused of voter fraud by the campaign manager for one of her opponents in the primary and others for listing her husband’s surf shop as her residential address for the 2010 and 2012 elections. The address was changed to Hawaiian Acres in 2013 before Edwards Hunt sought the Council District 5 seat.

During the time her husband’s business address was used, the surf shop and the home were in different districts. Following redistricting, boundaries changed for the 2012 election.

Edwards Hunt said Tuesday that the strength of her candidacy "was so threatening to some they needed to sift" through her voter registration history.

Just before the August primary, the allegations were made to Stewart Maeda, the county clerk. Maeda forwarded the case to police.

The investigation took longer than expected, said Capt. Robert Wagner.

"A lot of people wanted to give a statement more than once," Wagner said.

Edwards Hunt said that on the advice of her attorney, she declined to be interviewed by police during the investigation.