A Honolulu jury ruled that Hawaii's governor's chief of staff illegally fired a tourism official for reporting misuse of money, a costly loss for the state and a win for whistleblowers.

• Former lawmaker and Hawaii Tourism Authority executive Isaac Choy was awarded more than half a million dollars, including punitive damages.
• Choy said he was fired after flagging unpaid contracts, improper purchasing, and free perks for board member Mufi Hannemann.
• Governor Green's chief of staff, Brooke Wilson, and the agency's interim CEO said he was fired for racist and sexist remarks at work.
• The jury sided with Choy, finding he was pushed out in retaliation and that Wilson had no authority over the agency to begin with.
• Because she acted outside her authority, Wilson may have to pay the damages out of her own pocket.

Outlook: The attorney general disagrees with the verdict and is weighing next steps, so an appeal is likely.