Posted at 12:02 p.m., Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Judge rejects request for Awana blackmail e-mails
Associated Press
HONOLULU — A federal judge will not remove a gag order on e-mails over which Gov. Linda Lingle's former chief of staff was blackmailed.U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright ruled against a request from The Associated Press to lift an order that has kept secret some e-mails to and from Bob Awana, who was Lingle's top adviser before he resigned after the blackmail came to light.
Awana was blackmailed over his relationship with a woman in the Philippines.
The Associated Press asked Seabright to lift the gag order to help verify whether the case involved official government conduct on state trips.
Lingle says Awana assured her that it did not. Awana himself has not discuss the case publicly.
