Hawaii health dep’t employee fined $25,000 for ethics breach

HONOLULU – A Fil-Am employee of the Hawaii Department of Health employee must pay a hefty fine for an ethics violation.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission fined Roel Salanga $25,000 dollars after they say he used his position for personal gain, Hawaii News Now reported.

The commission said Salanga worked as a Nurse Consultant for the DOH’s Office of Health Care Assurance. It said Salanga found real estate clients through his inspections of adult care homes.

In one instance, Salanga offered his property-buying services to a care home operator during a 2018 inspection after the operator expressed an interest in relocating.

Investigators found Salanga sent several emails to the client regarding the real-estate search during his time on the clock with the DOH.

The report says Salanga ultimately earned nearly $23,000 in commission for his real estate firm, nearly $10,000 of which went to his personal commission.

Further disciplinary action will be left up to the Department of Health.