Woo vs. Harmon - Witness Frank Bridgewater

James B. Nicholson, Trustee vs. Harmon

(Formerly Woo vs. Harmon)

CV05-00030 DAE KSC

U.S. District Court For the District of Hawaii

Judges: David A. Ezra; Kevin S. Chang

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HEARING ON MOTION FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT

DATE: January 16, 2007, 10:30 AM

JUDGE: Hon. David Ezra

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DEFENDANT’S WITNESS

FRANK BRIDGEWATER

Managing Editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin
500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-210
Honolulu, Hi 96813

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November 7. 2004

Story concerning Bainum’s wife simply
wasn’t worth publishing

Leading up to the mayoral election, depending on who was doing the talking, it was a smear or a legitimate issue that needed to be addressed publicly. We received numerous e-mails and phone calls -- some thoughtful ones and some mean-spirited, offensive ones -- asking us why we didn't write something about it.

"It" was stories and court filings posted online about two weeks before the election concerning Jennifer Toma Bainum, wife of mayoral candidate Duke Bainum.

The stories, on events that took place about eight years ago, flashed through the community by e-mail and word of mouth. They prompted internal discussions by news organizations about whether to report on it, and thus further spread it, or to let it lie.

The Star-Bulletin had investigated the issue before there were any online postings. We reviewed court documents and talked at length with several people and agencies involved.

We concluded that there was no valid, legitimate story to be published.

Further, the issue had nothing to do with the mayoral race.

Some who contacted us believed that we did not publish anything on Bainum's wife because the Star-Bulletin had endorsed Bainum in the primary and general elections.

To set the record straight: The news department at the Star-Bulletin is separate from the editorial department. Neither I, as editor, nor anyone else in the news department took part in discussions on endorsements for any office. The newsroom pursues stories from an independent vantage, unencumbered by editorial decisions.

Frank Bridgewater
Star-Bulletin editor

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Frank Bridgewater is editor of the Star-Bulletin.
Call him at 529-4791. He can be reached at: fbridgewater@starbulletin.com or write to
500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

http://starbulletin.com/2004/11/07/editorial/bridgewater.html

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This is part of the story that Frank Bridgewater thought “simply wasn’t worth publishing”:

October 18, 2004

Controversy Surrounds Final Years of Life of Masumi Murasaki
and His Caregiver, Jennifer Alonso-Toma,
Now Wife of Mayoral Candidate Duke Bainum

By Malia Zimmerman, Hawaii Reporter

In an effort to examine the background of candidates running for political office and their family associations, Hawaii Reporter checked public record and found a number of court cases involving Jennifer Toma-Bainum, wife of candidate for mayor, Duke Bainum, and Jennifer's close relatives.

One case in particular involves the guardianship of a man named Masumi Murasaki, who was 83 years old when Jennifer became his caretaker. In looking into this case, a number of witnesses from the mainland and Hawaii have come forward to share their concerns about the way Jennifer and her then husband Anthony Alonso treated Masumi, his family, friends and neighbors. They say she took control of his estate, living trust and finances, and accepted substantial gifts and accepted sums of money from Masumi far above her monthly stipend of $350.

His family and friends say although Masumi was very generous, he also kept his money in savings, stocks and bonds in hopes when he died he could leave it to his two children and help pay for the college expenses of his numerous grandchildren.

Jennifer Toma-Bainum was asked on several occasions in person, through email and by phone, to comment on her involvement with Masumi Murasaki. She refused. Instead, the public relations person for the Campaign of Friends of Duke Bainum made the issue political, saying the accusations, which have been made consistently by mainland relatives since 1997, are "politically motivated."

Duke Bainum, who ordered Hawaii Reporter to "stop harassing his wife," when this editor tried to interview her, had this statement sent by PR person Phyllis Kihara via email: "These false, vicious, and deeply personal attacks on Duke’s family are clearly intended to sow doubts just days before the election. These false charges were dismissed years ago in court, and are being rehashed right before voters head to the polls for transparently political reasons. And those who are responsible should be ashamed for taking "talking stink" to the lowest of lows."

The family of Masumi Murasaki, who live in Florida and have never met Duke Bainum or his mayoral opponent Mufi Hannemann, deny they have any interest in the mayoral election. They say their story, which dates years before Jennifer married Duke on Feb. 14, 2004, has nothing to do with politics, rather with the life of their father and his legacy.

In reporting on this story, Hawaii Reporter took great care to review hundreds of pages of public records. Those include the medical examiners report from the City Medical Examiner, copies of checks and tax returns of Masumi, real estate records, address checks, police reports, letters from attorneys, neighbors and family members in public record, and all legal cases in First Circuit Court. It also is important to note, that although Jennifer has been accused of wrongdoing by family, friends and neighbors of Masumi Murasaki, she has had no charges filed against her and has not been found guilty of any crime.

See "Public Record Documents in the Case of Jennifer Bainum vs. Masumi Murasaki" for copies of the public record.

The story of the final years of life and death of 85-year-old Masumi Murasaki sounds like that of an Agatha Christie novel, but unfortunately, say his family, friends and neighbors, what happened to him is all too real....

Read the full story at...

Hawaii Reporter, Freedom to Report Real News

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This witness is expected to testify regarding his views on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and editorial independence and integrity. Mr. Bridgewater is also expected to testify regarding his business, professional and personal relationships with Island Holdings, David Black, Colbert Matsumoto, Jeffrey Case, Larry Johnson, FranklinTokioka, Jeffrey Watanabe, Warren K.K. Luke, Howard K.K. Luke, Duane Kurisu, J. Douglas Ing, Watanabe Ing & Kawashima, Mark Bennett, Judge Barry Kurren, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Stanley Hong, Paul Alston, Rick Daysog, Ian Lind, Jim Dooley, Sally Apgar, Trinity International Holdings, Jon Miho, Midweek Publishing, Rupert Murdoch, University of Hawaii Foundation, Stanley Hong, Duke Bainum, and others to be named upon discovery.