Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 10, 1 October 2020 — OHA Victory in Ongoing Lawsuit Against State Auditor [ARTICLE]

OHA Victory in Ongoing Lawsuit Against State Auditor

By Sterling Wong First Circuit Judge Jeffrey P. Crabtree issued an order in favor of OHA in mid-September, ruling that the redacted portions of the minutes of the executive sessions of OHA Board meetings the State Auditor seeks to review are protected by attorney-client privilege. "While yesterday's ruling isn't the end to this lawsuit, it is still a major victory for OHA," said OHA Chair Colette Machado. "This brings us closer to compelling the auditor to complete his long-overdue audit of OHA, so the state ean release much-needed general funds to the Native Hawaiian people during this pandemic." In his ruling, Judge Crabtree denied State Auditor Les Kondo's motion to dismiss OHA's lawsuit. OHA originally filed the lawsuit against the State Auditor in February, asking the court to decide whether tmstees must provide Kondo with attorney-client privileged information. OHA filed the lawsuit hoping that a court decision would clear the way for the completion of the suspended state audit of OHA, whieh is now nine months late. Without a finished audit, OHA cannot receive $3 million in general funds for the current fiscal year.

"We are grateful that Judge Crabtree's careful decision will allow OHA's lawsuit to continue so that a conclusion ean be reached on the merits," said OHA Board Counsel Robert Klein, a former Hawai'i Supreme Court Justice. Last year, the Legislature passed a law that conditioned the release of OHA's $3 million in general funds for fiscal year 2021 on the State Auditor's completion of a new audit of OHA. Shortly thereafter, Kondo informed OHA that he would be auditing the limited liability companies (LLCs) associated with OHA and requested 26 categories of information. OHA and its associated LLCs fully cooperated, providing Kondo with 937 documents, totaling thousands of pages, within weeks of receiving his requests. OHA submitted all documents requested, including the minutes of 2 1 executive session Board meetings that included redactions to shield privileged legal advice, whieh is protected from disclosure by state law. OHA CEO Dr. Sylvia Hussey said that OHA and the LLCs have been responsive to all of Kondo's requests. "Everything the State Auditor requested was tumed over, in most instances, within the one-week response deadline," said Hussey. "Any questions about specific hnaneial transactions of the LLCs ean be answered in the documents already sub-

mitted to Mr. Kondo's office, including contract lists, grants received, eheek registers and meeting minutes of the LLC managers, none of whieh were redacted." On Dec. 30, 2019, just as the audit was due to the Legislature, Kondo announced that he was suspending the audit indefinitely until OHA provides him with the unredacted meeting minutes. "The State Auditor is using an unprecedented interpretation of his powers to demand attorney-client privileged information that is protected by the law," said Klein when OHA filed its lawsuit in February. "Rather than subpoenaing OHA, whieh would result in a court reviewing his interpretation of his audit powers, he decided to suspend his legislatively mandated audit and plaee significant Native Hawaiian funds in jeopardy. In April, Kondo filed the motion asking the First Circuit Court to dismiss OHA's lawsuit. With Kondo's motion dismissed, the case will now focus on whether the State Auditor's legal powers allow him to review OHA's Board executive session meeting minutes, whieh Judge Crabtree has now declared to be protected by attorney-client privilege. ■