The Kennedy touch: Ambassador helps Toyota exec go free

Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, helped secure former Toyota executive Julie Hamp's release from jail after the automaker's global communications chief became entangled in a drug case, an American official with direct knowledge of the discussions told USA TODAY.

Hamp, who was arrested on suspicion that she illegally imported prescription drugs into the country, was released Wednesday after Japanese prosecutors decided not to press charges. She immediately jumped on a plane to return to the U.S.

Kennedy's active role in the case — which was not previously disclosed —- involved advising Toyota officials and discussing the matter with Japanese authorities, said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of such international diplomacy issues.

State Department spokeswoman Tanya Powell declined to comment, citing "privacy considerations."

Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, became U.S. ambassador to Japan in November 2013 after her appointment by President Obama. Before becoming ambassador, she was a lawyer, an author and an active participant in numerous charitable causes.

Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said in an email the company had "nothing to add at this time other than our appreciation of her (Kennedy's) support."

It's not unprecedented for the ambassador to take on a role in pursuing the release of an American caught up in Japan's legal system. Earlier this year, Kennedy helped secure the release of 26-year-old American teacher Carrie Russell, who was detained after authorities discovered a shipment of Adderall pills prescribed for attention-deficit disorder.

The 55-year-old Hamp was arrested three weeks ago at a luxury hotel in Japan after authorities discovered 57 pills of the powerful prescription painkiller oxycodone in a package sent to her. Prosecutors said Wednesday the tablets were hidden in the shipment.

The drug is commonly prescribed in the U.S. for people who suffer from chronic pain, but it's illegal to bring it into Japan without the government's permission.

Hamp has been unavailable for comment.

Strict Japanese drug laws allowed police to retain Hamp for nearly three weeks without charges. She could have faced up to 10 years in prison if she was charged.

Toyota publicly defended Hamp, saying she did not knowingly break Japanese law and accepting blame for not properly educating its executives about how to transition to Japan.

Still, Hamp resigned June 30 in a move that was viewed privately as a conciliatory bid to sway prosecutors into not charging her. In Japan, a sincere show of remorse can help convince authorities to show leniency.

It was not immediately clear whether her resignation was part of an explicit deal to secure her release.

Toyota executives initially did not want Hamp to resign, viewing her as a critical part of the company's leadership team. But they eventually came to believe it was the only feasible route to potentially resolving the imbroglio, the American official said.

Their show of loyalty to Hamp, despite a cavalcade of critics in Japan who pummeled the world's largest automaker for supporting her, comes as President Akio Toyoda has championed an internal effort to diversify the company's leadership ranks.

Hamp was the first American executive to serve as a high-ranking Toyota executive in Japan, and she was the highest-ranking woman.

After she was released, the company issued a statement apologizing "for any confusion or concern the recent events surrounding former Managing Officer Julie Hamp may have caused."

It also pledged to "create a more secure working environment for everyone at Toyota around the world" and said it would "remain firmly committed to putting the right people in the right places, regardless of nationality, gender, age and other factors, as we continue to take the steps necessary to become a truly global company."

Hamp's friends celebrated her release Wednesday.

"Friends in the industry and here in Detroit — many of them women, have supported her throughout, at least quietly," said Michelle Krebs, an auto analyst who has known Hamp for decades. "We haven't been able to contact her. We're very relieved that she is out and we're really looking forward to what she's going to do next because I think she will have career opportunities."

Hamp, whose communications career included a long stint at General Motors and time at PepsiCo, had been appointed as Toyota's chief global communications officer in February.

"She's tough, she's very calm and measured," Krebs said. "I've never seen her get upset, get angry. Anybody will tell you that's ever worked with her, she has a very high level of integrity and honesty."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.