HONOLULU (AP) — The head of a Honolulu union covering thousands of electrical workers across the state has retired amid an investigation into the union’s finances.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/1Wo0Llk ) Brian Ahakuelo said Tuesday he had retired from his position as the business manager and financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260. His resignation comes after he was placed on administrative leave Friday pending the outcome of the investigation.
Ahakuelo maintains that he did no wrong and says there has been “no illegal or improper activities.”
The union’s international office says the local union has been placed in trusteeship until the financial issues have been addressed.
Local 1260’s annual financial report says Ahakuelo made more than $200,000 in 2015. His wife, son and daughter-in-law also work for the union.
The head of a Honolulu union covering thousands of electrical workers across the state has retired amid an investigation into the union’s finances.
Brian Ahakuelo said Tuesday he had retired from his position as the business manager and financial secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260. His resignation comes after he was placed on administrative leave Friday pending the outcome of the investigation.
The union’s international office said it placed Local 1260 in trusteeship “in order to investigate and correct financial issues that have arisen in the local.”
“This is an ongoing investigation by the International Office and we are unable to comment on the process until it is fully completed,” said Mark Brueggenjohann, spokesman for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Washington, D.C. “Our priority is always to protect our members’ rights and to guarantee that their dues are used in an appropriate and transparent manner. We will continue our trusteeship until there is full clarity on all financial issues and corrective measures have been implemented.”
Ahakuelo maintains that he has done no wrong.
“What’s going on right now is not a negative thing. It’s actually a positive thing because there’s no improprieties. There’s no illegal or improper activities. There was no criminal intent of any sort,” Ahakuelo said. “There’s nothing that I have done wrong or as far as I know my staff has done wrong in local union office. All we’ve done is raise the standard for our membership to have the abilities today to live a middle-class lifestyle in the state of Hawaii.”
Ahakuelo was one of 19 union members who were placed on leave, according to KHON-TV (http://bit.ly/1TEmM98).
According to the union’s 2015 financial report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, Ahakuelo made $201,712 last year. His wife, son and daughter-in-law also work for the union.