Sen. Malama Solomon and Sen. Brickwood Galuteria spoke glowingly of Masagatni’s qualifications before the full Senate vote. The proceedings lasted about five minutes. Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who sat at Masagatani’s side, flashed a smile as her confirmation was announced.

There was no mention of the turmoil that ensued last month after fired deputy director, Michelle Kauhane, testified against Masagatani at a prior confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs. 

Kauhane accused Abercrombie’s cheif of staff, Bruce Coppa, and Attorney General David Louie, of intimidation and offering to use DHHL funds improperly in order to quietly remove her from her position at DHHL. 

Kauhane subsequently released a secret tape of a meeting between her, Coppa and Louie, that she recorded on her iPhone.

In the recording, Coppa offers her $85,000 a year to work for Abercrombie’s homeless czar. Coppa says that the position will be paid out of DHHL funds. 

However, DHHL funds are supposed to be used exclusively to assist Native Hawaiian beneficiaries of the trust, critics say, not to fund a position elsewhere in government. 

Kauhane said that Masagatani was aware of the offer.

The governor’s offices said at the time that the offer was not improver because DHHL employees are allowed to assist another agency.

Kauhane was fired by Masagatani in December, shortly after the taped meeting with Coppa and Louie.  

Masagatani had served as the interim director of DHHL since Abercrombie tapped her in May. 

Masagatani’s qualifications are detailed in a DHHL press release issued shortly after her confirmation: 

Masagatani, 48, earned a master’s degree in public affairs/urban and regional planning from Princeton University.  She earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Northwestern University.  A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Ms. Masagatani is a resident of Kailua.

Prior to coming back to the Hawaiian Homes Commission and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Masagatani served at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) as Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer. Before that, she was an assistant to the President and CEO of The Queen’s Health Systems. She also previously served as a Land Investment Analyst for Kamehameha Schools, and as Deputy to the Chair of the Hawaiian Homes Commission.

—Sophie Cocke