In rare move, Kahele and Cayetano hold news conference to question Green’s finances

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - In an unusual move as voters are casting mail-in ballots, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Vicky Cayetano and U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele teamed up Wednesday for a news conference to resume their questioning of Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s finances and call on him to “release the records.”

The news conference was held at Cayetano’s campaign headquarters.

And most of the allegations they made and questions they raised have been heard before. Green has received up to $1 million in additional income and they want to know exactly where he’s getting the money from.

Kahele and Cayetano also repeated that Green paid a $1,000 fine over disputed mainland contributions when he ran for lieutenant governor.

Even though those facts aren’t new, both say Green hasn’t responded adequately.

“We are not bringing anything new, We are asking questions that deserve answers,” Kahele said.

“If there is nothing to hide, then release the documents. Growing up here in Hawaii my whole life, this doesn’t pass the kukae test,” he added.

Cayetano acknowledged the news conference was “unprecedented,” but said “character matters.”

“I’ve had a front row seat to what a Governor can do to what a Governor can do. There is tremendous responsibility, authority and power so even more so if he is going to be Governor we need these answers,” she added.

Green has previously said his LLC is part of his work as a private physician and any violations were clerical errors.

In a statement Wednesday, Green said, “When campaigns get desperate, sometimes they start attacking instead of talking about the issues that really matter to people.”

“It’s always disappointing, and in Hawaii it’s not who we are, but my campaign has been positive from the very beginning and will stay positive to the end, and I will keep talking about building affordable housing, fighting homelessness, and lowering the cost of living, and I will do the best I can to unite us and lead Hawaii forward to a better, stronger future.”

HNN Political Analyst Colin Moore called the news conference “strange.”

“It probably also demonstrates just how far the lieutenant governor is in the lead that his two opponents would share a stage like that,” Moore said.

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