Maria Sullivan, chair of the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, in a Jan. 18 memo to Senate President Shan Tsutsui, recommended senators raise any concerns they have about the commission in public commission meetings.

The memo follows a closed-door meeting between Sullivan, fellow commissioner Jackie Kido and Tsutsui to hear Senate concerns about commission interpretation of the State Ethics Code.

Excerpt:

I think that it is necessary and prudent for any further discussion to be as part of a public Commission meeting. As you know, much of government ethics is premised on public perception. For that reason, I am concerned that we may harm the public’s confidence in the Commission’s ability to perform its statutory responsibilities if there is any suggestion that the private meetings with you and the other Senators have compromised the Commission’s ability to be objective and impartial.