Honolulu City Council candidate Mike Gabbard paid nearly $5,000 from his campaign fund to a company he owns, raising questions from a group he described as consisting of "radical homosexuals and extremist atheists." Gabbard campaign
spending questionedBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com
Gabbard, in response to a complaint filed against him with the state Campaign Spending Commission, denied any wrongdoing and called allegations against him "completely false" and part of a "smear campaign" against him.
Michael J. Golojuch Jr., a former candidate for the state House, filed the complaint. Golojuch questioned nine expenditures totaling $4,974.79 that the Gabbard campaign made to Infotech Communications LLC, a company that lists Gabbard as its only officer.
Golojuch pointed to an additional four listings for "unpaid expenditures" totaling $2,712.35 and one listing for a "forgiven expenditure" for $58.53.
Descriptions list the expenditures as being for market research, banner and bumper sticker printing, newspaper advertising and bulk-mail fees.
Golojuch and others belonging to the newly formed Voters Against Corrupt Government held a news conference yesterday to detail the charges.
Bob Watada, executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission, said he cannot comment on the case pending against Gabbard. But in general, he said, a candidate would be able to use and then reimburse a company he owns so long as no profit or other personal benefit is derived.
For instance, he said, a candidate could use the services of a company he owns and then reimburse it for the cost of materials, equipment and labor outside of his or her immediate family.
"There might be a problem," however, if it can be substantiated that a shell company was created to cycle campaign money or to derive a profit, Watada said.
Golojuch said Infotech Communications is a company that Gabbard and wife Carol, a state Board of Education member, acknowledge derives no revenues and has no employees. The state Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs lists it as delinquent in filing a 2001 annual report.
"He's been hiding where this money actually is being spent and, in doing so, using Infotech Communications as a veil, as an intermediary," he said. "We need to know, as the public, who he has retained for services."
Gabbard issued a written response late yesterday calling the allegations "completely false" and denying any wrongdoing.
"The fact is, the money in question was legal reimbursement for campaign expenses with no personal profit to anyone," he said.
Gabbard said Infotech Communications' purpose is "to give low-cost assistance to nonprofit organizations whose work we appreciate and select political candidates."
The company "provides market research, banner and bumper sticker printing, as well as newspaper advertising and other services," he said. "Infotech does not profit from my campaign activities."
Gabbard blamed campaign opponent Pam Witty-Oakland for allying with Golojuch, whom he described as a "radical homosexual activist" and an atheist affiliated with the Hawaii Citizens for Separation of State and Church.
He challenged her to denounce the "tactics, extricate herself from the unholy alliance she's formed with radical homosexuals and atheist organizations, and focus on the serious issues that face our people."
Gabbard has had numerous skirmishes with the gay community since he led the Alliance for Traditional Marriage organization, which successfully lobbied voters to approve a constitutional amendment that gave the Legislature the power to reserve marriage for people of the opposite sex.
Witty-Oakland denied any involvement with Voters Against Corrupt Government or any other of Golojuch's organizations.
"The issues between Golojuch and Gabbard preceded this Council race and do not involve me," Witty-Oakland said.
Campaign Spending Commission
