HONOLULU — Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees have rescinded a letter from CEO Kamanaopono Crabbe to Secretary of State John Kerry seeking clarification on whether the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist under international law.
All nine trustees signed a letter to Kerry Friday saying Crabbe’s letter doesn’t reflect their position or the agency’s.
Crabbe wrote that an analysis by scholars alleging the federal and state governments were illegal regimes had raised concerns. The scholars said OHA trustees and Native Hawaiian Roll Commission members may be criminally liable under international law.
Crabbe said he would ask trustees to put off pursuing a Native Hawaiian governing entity until they confirmed the kingdom doesn’t exist under international law.
He asked the State Department to seek an opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.