Maui prosecutor says mayor was not target of criminal investigation
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin said Mayor Richard Bissen was not a target of the criminal investigation referenced by Maui Police Chief John Pelletier.
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Pelletier, who was placed on paid administrative leave by the Maui Police Commission last week, alleged Bissen had him sidelined because Bissen had been under criminal investigation since August.
In a statement Tuesday, Martin said, “The investigation he referred to began in my department. Mayor Bissen was not its target.”
Martin said law enforcement agencies do not publicly name subjects of an investigation, unless there is probable cause to support an arrest or charge, to protect the integrity of investigations and people who may never be charged.
“Chief Pelletier violated this fundamental tenet of criminal investigations and told the public something that is simply not true,” Martin said.
Investigation timeline outlined
Martin said he became aware of allegations concerning an individual within the Office of Economic Development in August 2024 through the County of Maui Board of Ethics.
The Department of Finance asked for guidance on Nov. 8, 2024, and sent a summary of its own investigation completed in October 2024, Martin said.
After a follow-up meeting and additional documentation, Martin said his department opened a criminal investigation in January 2025 into possible misuse of county grant funds issued by OED.
“That decision was made before any civil lawsuit entered the picture. The civil complaint filed by the Mayor’s former Chief of Staff was not filed until April 24, 2026, and was not served on the County until June 5, 2026,” Martin said.
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Partnership with state investigators
Martin said his department contacted the Department of the Attorney General through the normal deconfliction process and agreed to work jointly with the Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD).
The partnership added personnel and access to tools including forensic accountants, Martin said.
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In March 2026, Martin said he asked SIPD to take sole responsibility for prosecutorial decision-making.
“I made that decision in part because of concerns that people within Maui County government would politicize this investigation,” he said. “Unfortunately, the events of the past several days have shown that concern was justified.
Martin said he partnered with the division to keep the investigation independent of county politics and said he will not discuss the substance of the investigation.
‘A betrayal of public trust’
In his statement, Martin criticized the chief for his comments.
“Falsely naming someone as the target of a criminal investigation is bad enough, but coming from the head of a police department in service of a political fight, Chief Pelletier’s false statement was a betrayal of public trust,” he said.
“It harms the person accused. It harms the investigation. And it harms the public’s confidence that law enforcement uses its authority for justice, not for personal or political ends,” Martin said.
“Criminal investigations must be handled fairly, carefully, and out of the public spotlight until the evidence is ready to speak for itself. This is the standard that my department has followed in all its investigations and will continue to follow in the future. The people of Maui County deserve nothing less,” he said.
Pelletier insists there is a separate criminal case at the Maui Police Department that focuses on Bissen, but did not disclose any details.
Wailuku events support chief, mayor
In Wailuku Tuesday afternoon, Pelletier was joined by supporters in a march near War Memorial Stadium, about a mile from a sign-waving rally for Bissen near Queen Kaahumanu Center.
“I’m tired of us running people through the mud because they’re different,” Pelletier supporter Keisa Liu said. “We pulled them in, we asked for somebody who was ready and qualified, who could handle what needed to happen here, which was change, something different after decades of the same thing.”
A separate campaign sign-waving event took place to support Mayor Bissen’s, who faces Yuki Lei Sugimura in the general election, told supporters the event was not about him.
“This isn’t about me or any individual person. This is about what we do for the entire community,” Bissen said. “Our community doesn’t want to see bickering, they want to see us finishing and doing the work we’re doing.”
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General election ballots are expected to arrive in mailboxes this week.
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