HONOLULU — Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has nominated tech business entrepreneur Jeffrey Hong to serve on the Honolulu Liquor Commission, replacing former chair Narsi Ganaban who resigned in July amid a growing chorus of complaints and allegations against the commission.
“My nomination of Jeff was based on his bringing incredible business acumen, extremely high-level technology know-how, and civil rights passion to one of the most important commissions in the City,” Blangiardi said. “I know that Jeff will be objective and fair with our industry and he, together with his fellow commissioners, will demand a culture that prioritizes equity, accountability and transparency.”
The nomination is subject to confirmation by the Honolulu City Council.
Hong is the founder and chief technology officer and of Techmana LLC, a software development and cybersecurity firm. He previously founded Microsoft’s Hawaii office.
A former military intelligence major with Hawaii Army National Guard, Hong is also a noted civil rights advocate who serves as lay leader of the American Civil Liberties Union and is a member of the 13-person National Board Executive Committee. He has been involved in numerous local civil rights causes, including marriage equality.
In addition, Hong, a graduate of Kaiser High School and Harvey Mudd College, is a board member of a Hawaii Island-based medical cannabis dispensary.
If confirmed, Hong will join a Honolulu Liquor Commission in multiple crosshairs.
The commission is the subject of a federal suit filed by the owners of Scarlet Honolulu and Gay Island Guide for alleged civil rights abuses.
At a Honolulu City Council meeting on Tuesday, Scarlet Honolulu owner Robbie Baldwin described “constant harassment” and abusive behavior, including homophobic remarks, directed at Scarlet employees by liquor inspectors. Baldwin said he filed suit after the liquor commission failed to acknowledge or address his complaints.
Owners and managers of numerous other local establishments that serve alcohol have also complained, publicly and to elected officials, of selective and heavy-handed enforcement of pandemic-related restrictions over the last two years.
The complaints prompted Honolulu City Council vice chair Esther Kiaaina to introduce Resolution 22-207 urging the city administration and liquor commission to take action to restore public trust in the liquor commission.
“After the most recent lawsuit was filed alleging commission staff were committing federal civil rights violations against certain classes of citizens, and after the council was asked to approve retention of legal services to represent the commission, I started looking more closely at the history of the issues and concerns over time and found its history and some of the continued allegations alarming,” Kiaaina said.
Kiaaina said she introduced the resolution so the commission “can continue to do the good and important work that we need it to do, but also ensure that there are safeguards in place so it is done free from abuse and criminal acts.”
The resolution calls for the establishment of an internal affairs unit or ombudsman within a yet-undetermined city department to review allegations of inappropriate behavior by liquor commission officials and employees and an internal control division within the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services to review the commission’s processes and practices related to auditing licensees and the allocation and use of. Funds received via liquor violation fines. It also asks the mayor to disallow the practice of shutting down licensed businesses for violations without prior notice.
The resolution was reported out for adoption on a 5-0 vote.
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.