Former Honolulu City Council member Ikaika Anderson Opens in a new tab has pleaded not guilty to allegations of domestic abuse levied by his 34-year-old girlfriend.
Anderson, 45, and his attorney Thomas Otake entered the not guilty plea Tuesday morning to a charge of misdemeanor abuse of a family or household member.
“Ikaika is innocent and therefore entered a plea of not guilty today. I am confident that he will not be convicted of these charges, and I ask that the public allow the court process to play out before passing judgment. I have advised my client not to comment at this time,” Otake told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Honolulu police said the woman initially reported
a “domestic violence situation” to a co-worker in
Hilo, and the co-worker
reported it to the Hawaii
Police Department.
Hawaii island police asked the Honolulu Police Department for help after the woman was reported to be with Anderson on Oahu. When police located her, she alleged that her boyfriend had physically abused her, causing pain to her arm and visible injuries.
Police arrested Anderson at his Hinalea Street home in Waimanalo at 7:45 p.m. May 15. He was charged with abuse of a family or household member and released after posting $1,000 bail.
Anderson’s accuser, whom the Star-Advertiser is not identifying because it does not usually name victims of alleged domestic abuse, has faced a similar charge herself.
On Nov. 8, 2020, she was charged by Hawaii County prosecutors with abuse of family or household members for allegedly assaulting her then-husband. A week later, she accused her ex-husband of domestic abuse.
The case against her was eventually dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors retain the right to refile charges.
Her ex-husband successfully secured a temporary restraining order against her in 2020, which he later dropped in an attempt to reconcile, according to state court records. She obtained a TRO against her ex-husband in 2021 that was eventually thrown out by the court.
Charges were not filed and the couple divorced in June 2022.
The woman did not reply to Star-Advertiser requests for comment.
Anderson served on the Honolulu City Council representing District 3 for 11 years. He also served as Council chair for more than a year until he resigned in 2020 to help care for his grandparents, Hannie Anderson and former state legislator Whitney Anderson.
In 2022, Anderson unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor.
Gov. Josh Green had appointed Anderson director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, subject to Senate confirmation. In February the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs voted 4-1 to not recommend that the full Senate confirm his appointment. Anderson subsequently withdrew his nomination.
