Kaneshiro not in charge, acting prosecutor says

Acting Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Nadamoto insisted Thursday that he is in charge of day-to-day operations at the city prosecutor’s office despite several visits in the past week by Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro, who is on paid leave.

“He’s not running it. He may have been there physically, but he’s not running the office,” Nadamoto said Thursday. “He’s never told me what to do, and, as far as I know, when he’s been there he’s only been in his (personal) office.”

Kaneshiro placed himself on leave March 7 amid growing pressure by other key law enforcement officials after he acknowledged he received a target letter from the U.S. Department of Justice indicating he is a subject in a criminal investigation. Nadamoto authorized his paid leave.

Nadamoto told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he personally saw Kaneshiro “two or three times maybe and not for a long period of time — maybe an hour, two hours” during the past week. He exchanged greetings with his boss, but the two had no conversations about office business, he said.

Nadamoto said Kaneshiro was in his office to pick up personal items but has been blocked from accessing the department’s internal case management system and other information exclusive to the office. “He got blocked out of everything,” he said.

Brooks Baehr, a spokesman for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, said Kaneshiro spoke with the office’s executive assistant, Carol Nakamura, on Wednesday morning. “They agreed it was in everyone’s best interest that he not spend time in the office while on leave,” Baehr said.

Nadamoto acknowledged that he has had a close relationship with Kaneshiro. Nadamoto’s resume shows he was deputy prosecutor from 1989 to 1996, and then from 2010 until the present, which is roughly the periods Kaneshiro has been in the office. All deputy prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the prosecuting attorney.

First Deputy Prosecutor Chasid Sapolu went on voluntary leave Dec. 13 after he received a subject letter, meaning investigators suspect he engaged in misconduct but need to do more investigation.

Kaneshiro last won re-election in 2016, and his term runs through 2020.

State Attorney General Clare Connors, who had petitioned the Hawaii Supreme Court to temporarily bar Kaneshiro from practicing, withdrew the petition after Kaneshiro went on leave.

“Mr. Kaneshiro should not be in the office during his leave. The acting prosecutor says Mr. Kaneshiro was only allowed in to get personal effects — however, it was made clear that whatever those personal items are, they should be packed up and sent to Mr. Kaneshiro,” she said.

Kaneshiro’s target letter is tied to the federal public corruption case against former Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha and her husband, former Police Chief Louis Kealoha. Katherine Kealoha ran a division of the prosecutor’s office under Kaneshiro.

At a department briefing Thursday before the City Council Budget Committee, Councilwoman Kymberly Pine asked Nadamoto whether he is doing anything to ensure there is no wrongdoing at the agency.

Nadamoto said the agency will look into making it easier for deputy prosecutors to report any improprieties they might spot in the department.