NAWILIWILI — Up until a few days ago, Kaua‘i County Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing said he had intended to utilize his last meeting to shed more light on the recent harassment allegations that damaged his reputation. Instead, the 28-year
NAWILIWILI — Up until a few days ago, Kaua‘i County Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing said he had intended to utilize his last meeting to shed more light on the recent harassment allegations that damaged his reputation.
Instead, the 28-year veteran of the seven-member legislative body decided to take the high road, saying he feels “absolutely confident that the truth, the whole truth, someday will somehow surface.”
Asing made what he called his “final public statement” as the first order of business Wednesday morning at the last meeting of the 2008-2010 council.
Standing behind a podium, shrouded in lei, he addressed a crowd of some 30 family members, supporters, county officials, state representatives, community members and six seated council members.
The first words of his roughly 40-minute speech were: “The statement that I’m about to make has been reviewed and approved by the county attorney.”
Asing proceeded to extend his sincere aloha and mahalo to all the residents of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau who enabled him to serve them for almost three decades. He reflected on how quickly time has passed, likening the periods to dreams — “some vivid, some vague, some completely forgotten.”
The Kaua‘i native said this island will always be a “very special and sacred place for me,” underscoring that as the reason why he returned after working for 15 years in Honolulu.
Asing identified “land preservation” as his focus over the years. He noted the Nukoli‘i conflict, North Shore development and additional dwelling units on agricultural land as specific examples.
He said he will be known as someone who always came prepared and evaluated all the facts when working on various pieces of legislation.
“Wise decisions can only be made through good homework,” Asing said. “After 28 years on the council, this is my very proud, well known, unchallenged mark. This is what I’m known for… doing my homework. Along with being honest and truthful, treating everyone with courtesy and respect, and most importantly, again, most importantly, that both my integrity and word are, have and have been and will always be, as good as gold.”
The chair said except for his wife and family, his most treasured possession is his “solidly built” reputation.
He said this was based on his years on the council as well as in business, including 40 years at Hawaiian Telephone.
He noted that he was considered a good fisherman and diver, helping to splice undersea cables for a project with the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, in Mana.
Asing said he also fostered his reputation while officiating collegiate and high-school basketball for 25 years. Through this he learned to make “good, split-second decisions.”
“However, very recently, as all of you are aware of, that highly valued reputation has been unjustifiably damaged by false allegations,” Asing said.
“I deliberated at length with my family and with my closest friend advisers on whether I should pursue this at all. And if so, how it should be appropriately done so as not to cast more negativity on an already bad situation.
“I ask all of you… what would you do if you were in my shoes?”
The chair said the statement he gave Wednesday was “180 degrees” different than the remarks he had prepared three days prior.
Underscoring the “very deep, emotional hurt and anger” felt by himself, his wife, family members and close friends, Asing said most agreed “absolutely and positively that the entire truth needed to be told today in this meeting.”
“I have decided not to delve into those sordid details today,” Asing said. “Nor do I think it will be necessary for me to personally do so in the future because one, I feel absolutely confident that the truth, the whole truth, someday, will somehow surface. Secondly, and far more importantly, I wish not to taint, nor leave a negative image with you who are here or in the minds of the people of Kaua‘i who I nobly serve. I must likewise depart with grace and honor.”
Asing said filing a defamation lawsuit was also a “very real possibility” up until a few days ago.
“It may be unlikely that I will do so,” he said. “It will only prolong the hurt and elevate the emotions and anger. No one needs that.”
Serving on the council was a “challenging and sometimes frustrating and exasperating” experience, Asing said, but it was most definitely a “satisfying journey that I would not change for anything in the world.”
The chair concluded his speech by thanking council’s “competent, responsive, efficient staff,” including his “No. 1 driver,” County Clerk Peter Nakamura.
Keeping his emotions mostly in check, Asing then walked out of council chambers to a standing ovation.
Council Vice Chair Jay Furfaro said Asing would be “absent” for the remainder of the day, and as vice chair he conducted the remainder of the meeting.
Asing’s early departure from the meeting cut the fuse to the fireworks some residents and council members were anticipating in the discussion of an item the chair put on the agenda.
Asing had placed Communication 2010-310 on the agenda to address “significant issues and concerns raised during the 2008-2010 council term, such as: Policies, procedures, and protocol relating to changes to the County Council website; Distribution of Council Services documents in an equitable and timely manner; and Sexual harassment & workplace violence policies; follow-up to discussion held on Oct. 13, 2010, regarding Communication No. C 2010-283.”
In his absence, the council heard some public testimony on the item and received it for the record.
Asing was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election this November, finishing ninth overall.
With his popularity somewhat waning in recent years, Asing went from being a consistent top vote-getter to finishing in the bottom half of the top seven.
He entered the general election this year after an eighth-place finish in the primary. It was in between the primary and general elections that a colleague came forward with harassment claims.
At an October council meeting, Councilwoman Lani Kawahara said she was victimized during a recess of a heated July 2009 council meeting.
She alleged in a police report that Asing told her she had “crossed the line,” making a threatening gesture with his hand while speaking. Responding KPD officer Karen Kapua wrote in her police report that “based on the information obtained the element of harassment was not met.”
Asing declined multiple attempts to personally share his side of the story.
Attorney Michael Soong, representing Asing, said the chair denies ever harassing Kawahara. “While Mr. Asing is known for being a passionate advocate on issues that are important to Kaua‘i, he has never harassed her nor would he tolerate harassment in his presence,” Soong said in a written statement.
Asing said in the statement at the time that he is disappointed that the incident with Kawahara, which happened 15 months ago, is being brought up two weeks before the general election.
Kawahara decided against seeking a second term on the council.
• Nathan Eagle, managing editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
