Attorney General 2019-6 Attorney General Statement Regarding Honolulu Prosecutor’s Decision to Step Down
Posted on Mar 7, 2019 in Latest Department NewsHONOLULU – Attorney General Clare E. Connors issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by Keith Kaneshiro that he will take a leave of absence from his position as the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu and that Dwight Nadamoto will be the acting Prosecuting Attorney.
Last month, on February 12, 2019, Attorney General Connors filed a petition asking the Hawaii Supreme Court to address the conflict of interest created by Mr. Kaneshiro’s status as a target of a federal criminal investigation. Attorney General Connors sought an interim suspension from the Hawaii Supreme Court until the conflict of interest was resolved.
“Mr. Kaneshiro’s decision to step down from his public office while the federal criminal investigation is ongoing addresses the conflict of interest created by his receipt of a target letter. This was the right thing for him to do, both for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney and for the City and County of Honolulu. As the chief law enforcement officer of the State, I will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation at the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney and will take action as necessary.”
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For more information, contact:
Krishna F. Jayaram
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Department of the Attorney General
(808) 586-1284