A power struggle over who leads the Honolulu City Council is turning messy, with one side accused of breaking Hawaii's open-meetings law to lock in support early.

• Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam is pushing to become the new council chair and has filed a resolution for next week's meeting to install himself in the role, with allies named for vice chair and floor leader.
• Rival Andrea Tupola says he moved too fast and gathered five council members at a restaurant earlier this month, one more than the law allows without triggering public-meeting rules, and that a vote was taken there.
• Two anonymous complaints have been filed with the state's open-government watchdog, and the matter is now under investigation, so Dos Santos-Tam declined to discuss what happened at the gathering.
• Tupola argues there's no need to rush the decision and wants the council to follow the law and have open talks instead.
• A political analyst notes the chair position carries real power and visibility that could help whoever holds it run for mayor in two years, raising the stakes beyond this leadership vote.

Outlook: The leadership vote is expected to come to a head at next week's full council meeting, but the ethics investigation could cast a shadow over whoever wins.