The recently appointed state deputy director of corrections resigned Monday because of ethical concerns raised about her personal relationships with newly appointed Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda and a warden, both of whom she has had a child with.
"I was notified that people were bringing my children into it, and I didn’t think my children should be a topic of conversation," said Shelley Nobriga, who had been appointed to the post by Gov. David Ige.
After stepping into the position of deputy director of corrections on Jan. 26, she resigned a week later, returning to her position as the state Department of Public Safety’s litigation coordination officer.
"I want to emphasize there is no ethics violation, but when whoever brought my children into the equation, to then make it a hot topic of conversation … I didn’t think that was right," she said.
Nobriga said she became aware Friday that an anonymous person had raised the concerns.
Nobriga said she went to the state Ethics Commission in January prior to her appointment to make sure there was no ethical violation.
Since her relationship with Espinda ended 14 years ago, she was told by the commission there was no conflict.
They continue to share parenting responsibilities.
"We share a child and we’re very active parents," she said. "It’s a very good relationship between two parents."
She entered into a relationship with her current partner, Scott Harrington, 13 years ago. Harrington was appointed as warden at Waiawa Community Correctional Center within the past year.
The ethics issue surfaced during the Abercrombie administration when Nobriga was promoted to Waiawa warden in 2013, and Harrington was then chief of security at Waiawa.
Nobriga declined the promotion because she was told by Public Safety officials that because there was no level of authority between the couple, there would be an ethical violation.
Based upon that prior information from Public Safety officials, Nobriga saw no ethical violation tied to her recent appointment because Harrington, as a warden, would have to answer to the institution division administrator, which is one level below the deputy director of corrections.
"I was told that as long as there was a layer of authority, there was no ethics violation," she said.
Even so, Nobriga said that tendering her resignation was the right thing to do.
"I don’t want to taint the department in any way," she said. "I believe in what Director Espinda stepped into the office to do on Dec. 31, the changes he made, the authority and leadership he provided, and this would have detracted from all of that."
Nobriga said, "Since resigning, I’ve gotten 50-plus emails from staff who were disappointed in my resignation but who understood."
Nobriga’s resume includes a law degree, a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in social work. She served as arbitrator for the National Arbitration and Mediation Organization and for the Hawaii Labor Relations Board.
She was also an employee disciplinary hearings officer with the Public Safety Department and a social worker and correctional supervisor at Halawa Correctional Facility.
Espinda, the former Halawa warden, was named director of public safety by Ige. That appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.
The deputy director of corrections position is not subject to Senate confirmation.
