Indicted state employee continues working while co-defendants are on leave or have resigned
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Leodoloff “Leo” Asuncion Jr., one of five defendants charged in an alleged bribery conspiracy, continues to work in his taxpayer-funded state position, while others named in the same indictment have resigned or taken leave.
Read more Developer defends Waimanalo kauhale project despite community pushback
Asuncion appeared in court Thursday to enter a not-guilty plea alongside four co-defendants. He faces charges that include bribery conspiracy and obstruction.
Co-defendants have stepped back from their roles
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke placed herself on unpaid leave in April.
Ryan Yamane resigned as head of the Department of Human Services in May.
Ford Fuchigami went on 30-day paid leave as airports administrator following the indictment.
Asuncion, however, continues to serve as planning program administrator of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD).
State rules allow limited leave
State rules allow a public employee to be placed on 30-day paid leave immediately, but any extension requires additional justification.
HNN political analyst Colin Moore said that is the standard practice when there are criminal charges.
“Normally what happens in these situations is that the person is placed on paid administrative leave,” Moore said. “So there’s no presumption of guilt. They’re still considered innocent. They still retain their employment rights. They’re just not exercising the same government responsibilities.”
Read more Lahaina teen turns himself in to police in resort pool riot investigation
Cameron Hurt of the watchdog group Common Cause Hawaii echoed the call for consistency. “It’s confusing,” Hurt said, as he called for Asuncion to also be on 30-day paid leave for now.
“We should be transparent and clear in our messaging to the public,” he said.
Retired federal public defender Alexander Silvert acknowledged the optics while noting legal protections. “Working on taxpayer dollars while you’re indicted is a bad look,” Silvert said. “But let’s remember one thing, everybody is presumed innocent, and these are just allegations.”
Agency says matter is unrelated to his duties
Asuncion was Lt. Gov. Luke’s campaign treasurer when the alleged criminal behavior took place and in a statement, his current supervisor told HNN Investigates that his new job is unrelated to the case.
“Based on the information available, the reported matter is unrelated to his state employment or his official duties,” said OPSD director Mary Alice Evans.
Evans continued, “OPSD will cooperate with any lawful requests from the appropriate authorities, as needed. Because this is an ongoing legal matter outside our jurisdiction, we have no further comment.”
OPSD develops long-term plans to protect the environment and guides land use policies.
Read more Oahu’s first felony arrest under ‘Duke’s Law’ follows illegal hunting report at West Oahu ranch
Post Comment