Democratic gubernatorial candidates Vicky Cayetano and Kai Kahele continue their calls for current Lt. Gov. Josh Green to release more information on his income.
With about two and a half weeks left to vote in the primary election, Cayetano and Kahele are using this time to join forces.
“It is unprecedented, I think we would say, for two opponents to call a joint press conference,” Cayetano said, sitting alongside Kahele at her Honolulu campaign office on Wednesday.
The former first lady and businesswoman said that recent public corruption scandals throughout the state increase the public’s need to know.
The pair renewed calls for Green to share records regarding his finances and links to three limited liability companies. They said the LLCs have contributed up to $1 million to Green’s income over the years.
Green has said one LLC was used for his income as a doctor, and asserted that other calls of unethical behavior have either been clerical errors or taken out of context.
On the same day of this press conference, Green’s campaign began airing a new advertisement about these negative attacks.
“When campaigns get desperate, they start attacking instead of talking about the issues that really matter to people,” Green says in the advertisement.
Both Cayetano and Kahele are far behind Green in the polls. In a recent Democratic primary poll by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Green remains the front runner with support from 55% of those surveyed.
But Kahele said that shouldn’t matter, stating that polls aren’t necessarily accurate. Kahele said that this issue is especially important right now, as voting is ongoing.
“People are making decisions right now. They're paying attention right now,” Kahele said. “We are calling on the lieutenant governor in an unprecedented press conference.”
Kahele has been publicly asking Green to comment on these LLCs. At a debate last week, the pair sparred.
When asked about his own LLC in Tennessee during the Wednesday press conference, Kahele pointed to his rental properties.
HPR intern Emily Tom contributed to this report.