Ige’s manager quits, aims for judgeship

Attorney Keith Hiraoka has stepped down from his post as campaign manager for Gov. David Ige in an attempt to mitigate any conflicts of interest as he seeks a judgeship on the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

The Intermediate Court of Appeals is the second-highest court in the state behind the state Supreme Court. The judges on the court can serve until they are 70 years old. Annual salary for judges is set at $202,596.

Ige will make the final decision on who will fill the post left vacant by retired Associate Judge Daniel Foley after the Judicial Selection Committee on Wednesday submitted six names to him, including that of Hiraoka.

Cindy McMillan, a spokeswoman for Ige, said that Hiraoka resigned as the governor’s campaign manager Wednesday after learning of his selection. She said Ige will conduct extensive interviews with all of the candidates and will enlist James Duffy, a retired associate justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, to help advise him on a final decision — a move meant to help quell any appearance of impropriety in light of the governor’s close association with Hiraoka.

Hiraoka, 58, is a law partner at Honolulu’s Roeca Luria Hiraoka firm. He did not return a call seeking comment.

Ige must select by Feb. 3 one of the six names given to him. Ige’s choice is subject to Senate confirmation.

Other nominees for the judgeship are:

>> Derrick H.M. Chan, chief judge of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii.

>> David M. Forman, director, Environmental Law Program, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

>> Geoffrey K.S. Komeya, attorney/shareholder, Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina &Fairbanks, Attorneys at Law, a Law Corporation.

>> Karen T. Nakasone, circuit judge, First Circuit, State of Hawaii.

>> John M. Tonaki, public defender, State of Hawaii.

Nominees had to apply for the judgeship, which involves submitting an application and recommendations to the Judicial Selection Commission, which is made up of nine people who are appointed to six-year terms. Among the commissioners, two are appointed by the governor, two by the Senate president, two by the House speaker, two by the Hawaii State Bar Association and one by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Only one of the commissioners, Keith Hunter, was appointed by Ige.

The deliberations are kept confidential, but each nominee must receive at least five votes among the nine commissioners to make the list sent to the governor.

“We look at the candidates, we look at their qualifications and look at what people have to say about them and then choose from the group who are the most qualified candidates,” said Mike Middlesworth, who has served on the commission since 2015 after being appointed by then Senate President Donna Mercado Kim. “Beyond that I really can’t discuss what goes on in our discussions.”

The commission received 16 applications — three from judges, six from private attorneys and seven from attorneys with the government — according to the commission.

As part of the process, the public is also permitted to submit comments about the nominees through the governor’s website.