WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD) is investigating allegations of fraud against Maui County staffers stemming from a civil whistleblower lawsuit filed earlier this year.
The lawsuit, filed by Leo Caires, former chief of staff for Mayor Richard Bissen, claims the mayor knew about possible fraud inside his administration and ignored it.
The civil complaint, filed in April, accuses Maui County of wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation.
Caires says he was demoted and then fired after raising concerns about questionable purchases.
The suit points to a suspicious invoice dated Aug. 16, 2023, just after the Maui wildfires. It totaled $45,532.32 from a company named RTFEX Depot.
But Caires said he could not find any such company.
He also describes fake cashier’s checks made out to a fake company, and concerns about how grant money was being moved around. His inquiry included the mayor’s executive assistant and the Office of Economic Development.
The lawsuit says there were about $20,000 in transactions from another questionable vendor.
According to Caires, when he pressed for answers, Bissen ordered him to stop investigating. In 2024, Caires says he was demoted from chief of staff to energy commissioner with a significant pay cut, and later terminated.
Maui County has denied the allegations in court. A civil trial is scheduled for April 2028.
In a statement, the...
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