Councilman files ethics complaint against mayor’s appointee

HONOLULU — A Honolulu councilman has filed an ethics complaint claiming a city appointee used city resources to support his political opponent.

Councilman Trevor Ozawa claims Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts Executive Director Misty Kela’i used that agency’s Instagram account to “like” posts made by Tommy Waters, who is challenging Ozawa for his seat on the council this fall.

Ozawa says Kela’i also used the account to comment on one of Waters’ photos. The likes and comment have since been removed.

Ozawa says the action by Kela’i was in violation of city charter provisions and there is “no excuse for such actions, especially during an election year.”

Andrew Pereira, a spokesman for Mayor Kirk Caldwell, says Kela’i has apologized to Ozawa’s office and it was “one-time, isolated incident.”

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com