After the fires, a hot bribery scandal

Choy and his lawyer Michael Green (left) outside the courts in Honolulu, Hawaii. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

AFTER a major contracting scandal broke out in Hawaii last year, the mayor of Maui County appeared on television to express outrage and announce a sweeping audit of contracts awarded to a corrupt business owner.

But no one told the county auditor, who said he only heard about it on the news. In the end, the audit was never completed, and the county’s flawed system for awarding contracts – a system marred by bribery and a lack of competition – remains largely the way it was.