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Exposing Ashley Kierkiewicz’s Ethical Betrayals: Dual Roles and Puna’s Stolen Recovery (Aloha Activism Exposé series)

Updated: Jul 19

Aloha Puna community,


In our exposé series on the Puna Geothermal Community Website, we confront a leader whose actions have fractured trust in our recovery from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, which razed 716 homes, displaced 3,000 residents, and cost over $600 million in damages, with many still awaiting any form of recovery in 2025. Ashley Kierkiewicz, currently serving her fourth term as District 4 Council Member and simultaneously acting as president and CEO of Nā Leo ‘O Hawai‘i, has entangled herself in a web of ethical violations, conflicts of interest, and corporate allegiance to Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV). Her dual roles and questionable decisions—steering funds to personal projects, hiding affiliations, and prioritizing geothermal interests over Puna’s needs—reveal a councilwoman who places power and profit above our community’s healing.


This post dissects her ethical failures and demands accountability for the beautiful and neglected people that are Puna (we are aina too).

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Ethical Violations: A Legacy of Deceit


Kierkiewicz’s tenure on the Hawai‘i County Council, ongoing since 2018, is riddled with ethical breaches that mock her duty to Puna. In 2019, the county Board of Ethics unanimously ruled she violated the ethics code by failing to disclose a conflict of interest tied to Bill 16, which extended light industrial zoning for a Hilo property owned by Matsuno Enterprises. As a senior account executive at Hastings & Pleadwell, a PR firm representing Matsuno’s officers, Kierkiewicz introduced the bill, chaired the Planning Committee, and voted for it without revealing her ties to Steve Ueda, Matsuno’s president. A petition from 39 residents forced a belated disclosure, but resident Claudia Rohr condemned her “favoritism,” arguing Kierkiewicz’s refusal to recuse herself betrayed public trust. Her claim of having “nothing to gain financially” rings hollow when her professional ties clearly influenced her actions. ( PILAU #AUWE !!!) (https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2019/03/02/hawaii-news/ethics-complaint-targets-puna-councilwoman/)


In 2020, Kierkiewicz steered $63,000 in CARES Act funds to Vibrant Hawaii, a nonprofit she co-founded and served as an unpaid director, without disclosing her role in her mandatory financial report until West Hawaii Today’s inquiries forced a correction. This sum was part of $2 million Vibrant Hawaii received as a subcontractor for Hawaii Rise Foundation, exposing her willingness to funnel federal relief funds to her own organization under the guise of “community resilience.” Her defense—a “collective impact framework”—is a flimsy excuse for self-dealing, especially when Puna’s eruption victims still lack basic housing and infrastructure. Her handling of Pu‘uhonua o Puna, where she raised $77,355 for 2018 lava relief only to transfer funds to other nonprofits amid controversy, further erodes trust, leaving residents questioning whether their donations were misused. **must note :this is exactly what is happening with Kilauea recovery funds and the Puna people have a petition against her as well for this , link in article , keep reading!) (https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2020/12/20/hawaii-news/kierkiewicz-a-board-member-for-company-receiving-cares-funds/)


Dual Roles: A New Conflict of Interest

Since June 2023, Kierkiewicz has juggled her Council seat with her role as president and CEO of Nā Leo ‘O Hawai‘i, a public TV station, a position she assumed while continuing to serve District 4. This dual role raises serious ethical red flags. As a councilwoman, she votes on budgets and policies that could indirectly benefit Nā Leo, a nonprofit reliant on grants and community partnerships, creating a potential conflict of interest she has not publicly addressed. Her claim of “advancing a creative economy” through Nā Leo’s storytelling mission sounds noble, as does all of their political mumbo jumbo, but it distracts from her failure to prioritize Puna’s recovery.


Balancing these roles risks diverting her focus from District 4’s urgent needs—housing, roads, and cultural preservation—while her history of nondisclosure suggests she may not be forthcoming about how her Nā Leo position influences her Council decisions. This and the fact she does everything to hide from her constituents creates a very untrustworthy environment. (https://bigislandnow.com/2023/05/26/hawai%25CA%25BBi-county-councilmember-kierkiewicz-named-president-and-ceo-of-na-leo-%25CA%25BBo/)


Geothermal Collusion: Sacrificing Pele’s Land

Kierkiewicz’s unwavering support for Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) is a betrayal of Puna’s cultural and environmental soul. Her former employer, Hastings & Pleadwell, represented PGV, and Kierkiewicz has championed its Repower Project despite 55 years of Native Hawaiian opposition, who view geothermal drilling as a desecration of Pele’s sacred lands.


The upcoming July 25, 2025, geothermal symposium, hosted by Terri Napeahi of the Pele Defense Fund with experts like Sara Steiner and Palikapu Dedman, underscores these concerns, highlighting risks like hydrogen sulfide emissions noted in the 2013 Geothermal Public Health Assessment (PLEASE ATTEND THE SYMPOSIUM ) .


Lets get one thing completely clear: Kierkiewicz’s push for a $428,000 U.S. Geological Survey study in 2024 to assess PGV’s groundwater impact is a criminal diversion, delaying action on a 2024 injunction challenging PGV’s allegedly fraudulent Final Environmental Impact Statement. Her acceptance of $170,355 in PGV donations for Leilani Estates road restoration is seen as a cynical ploy to buy favor while ignoring Puna’s deeper wounds, when hundreds are still waiting for any road home as she launders it all into her own personal ventures . #justiceIScoming (https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2019/03/02/hawaii-news/ethics-complaint-targets-puna-councilwoman/)


Community Resistance: The Petition


Puna’s fight for justice is gaining momentum. The Change.org petition, “Redirect FEMA Funds to 2018 Kīlauea Eruption Disaster Zones in Puna” (https://www.change.org/p/redirect-fema-funds-to-2018-k%C4%ABlauea-eruption-disaster-zones-in-puna-1045046d-b760-4da5-9a54-3b36691866e3), demands that FEMA’s $177 million commitment be redirected to rebuild disaster zones like Leilani Estates, Pohoiki, and Opihikao, rather than funding Kierkiewicz-backed projects like “Revitalize Puna” or the Pāhoa Lava Museum, which many see as irrelevant to victims’ needs. Please help Puna by signing it today .


This petition reflects outrage at leaders like Kierkiewicz, whose ethical lapses and corporate ties have stalled recovery, leaving residents landlocked and underserved seven years after the eruption.


A Demand for Puna’s Future

Kierkiewicz’s dual roles, ethical violations, and PGV allegiance reveal a councilwoman who prioritizes personal ambition and corporate interests over Puna’s people. Her actions have delayed our recovery and disrespected our cultural heritage. We demand better. Here’s how you can act:


- Sign the Petition: Join the Change.org effort to redirect FEMA funds to our disaster zones.


- Report Misconduct: Share evidence of fund misuse with FEMA’s Fraud Hotline (1-866-223-0814 or StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov) or Hawaii County’s Disaster Recovery Division (recovery.hawaiicounty.gov).


- Join the Symposium: Attend the July 25, 2025, geothermal symposium at UH Hilo, hosted by Terri Napeahi, to stand against PGV’s overreach. Bring snacks or water to support our community.


- Engage with KahuPuna: Contact wearepuna@gmail.com to join advocacy efforts or the class action lawsuit against PGV violations.


"Puna is Pele’s realm #FreePele, and our aloha demands leaders who honor our land and people. Kierkiewicz’s ethical failures have stolen our recovery. Let’s expose her, demand accountability, and rebuild Puna with integrity." - Jasmine Steiner KahuPuna Aloha Activism; aloha ola o ka pono

SIGN PETITION TODAY --> https://chng.it/dSvLkLGzK7


Mahalo for caring about our home. Mahalo for realizing we cannot ignore these things and treat them with aloha and it will all just go away. there is no ignorance is bliss when it comes to Puna and the plight of its people , and of our ecosystem, our goddess Madame Pele ..


Eye lava you all.


Jazzy

KahuPuna

Aloha Activism

Sources: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, West Hawaii Today, Hawaii County Recovery Site, Puna Geothermal community website , Change.org petition, Big Island Now.


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MORE EXPOSES NOT ENTERED INTO WEBSITE YET -->



Robbie Cabral Waika Consulting : https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Hm573YR4Y/



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1 Comment

Sara Steiner-jackson
Sara Steiner-jackson
Aug 28

WOW, I didn't know about the ethics violations, thanks Jasmine!!!!!

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