Kihano jury agrees
on 21 counts

They're still deliberating
on the remaining two

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

The jury reached a unanimous verdict yesterday on 21 of 23 charges against former House Speaker Daniel Kihano, but asked for further clarification on one mail fraud count.

U.S. District Judge Alan Kay told jurors they could give him their partial verdict and then continue to deliberate on the two last counts.

But jurors decided to wait on disclosing the verdict until they had reached a decision on all counts, according to notes from the jury.

A federal grand jury indicted Kihano in August 1996 on 23 counts stemming from an alleged scheme to divert about $27,000 in campaign funds into his personal account.

Kihano testified that he had expected a high-paying government job after he resigned from office in 1992 but he did not get one.

That led to his decision to "borrow" $20,000 of his campaign funds because he was broke.

The federal government alleges Kihano had no intention of repaying the money and illegally used the funds as his own. Charges include money laundering, witness tampering and obstructing justice. The jury began deliberations Oct. 8.