For Immediate Release:
Press release by:
Kauanoe Batangan, Chair
Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee
k.kauanoe.batangan@mauicounty.us
Committee to discuss litigation updates Monday; meetings on fraud risk and Board of Ethics proposals to follow
WAILUKU, Hawaiʻi (June 19, 2026)—The Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet Monday at 9 a.m. to receive comments from the county’s special counsel on the status of the wrongful-termination lawsuit filed this spring by former county official Leo Caires, Committee Chair Kauanoe Batangan announced today.
Batangan said Monday’s meeting will also include a discussion on Resolution 26-99, which would require that all written settlement offers in the case be transmitted to the council. The resolution also proposes that invoices from the county’s special counsel be sent to council staff for review, he said.
“To continue promoting transparency, accountability and public confidence in Maui County government, the committee will discuss legislation focused on strengthening good governance practices,” said Batangan, who holds the seat for the Kahului residency area. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we are fostering trust and doing our best in serving all residents.”
The committee will meet again on June 30 at 1:30 p.m. to receive a presentation on the County of Maui Fraud Risk Assessment. County Auditor Lance Taguchi and representatives from Spire Hawaiʻi LLP, which drafted the assessment, have been invited to present their findings and recommendations, he said.
On July 28, the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the Board of Ethics’ priority proposals, which include Bill 55 (2025) on Code of Ethics violations and penalties. Other items on the agenda include a bill to prohibit nepotism and a bill to establish standards for lobbyists.
The meetings will be held online via Microsoft Teams, with an in-person component at the Council Chamber in Kalana o Maui, 200 S. High St. The meeting will be livestreamed on Akakū Channel 53, at MauiCounty.us and on the council’s Facebook page.
In-person, online and phone testimony is welcome at all meetings. Testimony instructions are on the meeting agendas, available at mauicounty.us/agendas.
For more information, contact committee staff at great.committee@mauicounty.us or call the Office of Council Services at (808) 270-7664.
