The House Judiciary Committee will vote next Thursday on a controversial campaign spending bill that makes donations to charities from a candidate's campaign war chest explicit money-for-votes exchanges. Critics testify against
campaign charity billA House committee votes next Thursday on the amendment
By Pat Omandam
The amendment in Senate Bill 459, SD1, changes state law so money donated to charitable groups from a candidate's campaign fund would be considered not as a contribution, but as an expenditure "to influence the nomination and election of a candidate to a particular office."
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State Campaign Spending Director Bob Watada told the House panel yesterday the amendment basically codifies giving money to people for their vote.
"Our understanding of the proposed amendment is tantamount to saying that you can buy votes," Watada said.
Along with the commission, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, the Green Party of Hawaii and others strongly opposed that language in the bill.
"In other words, it does away with the pretense that the contribution is made only for noble cause but recognizes the contribution is made to influence the nomination and the election of a candidate to a particular office," testified Jill Aoki, of the League of Women Voters.
"And whether it is an unintended consequence or not, it legitimizes the seeding of what amounts to the buying of votes."
Other aspects of the bill include a repeal on the number of fund-raisers held, a ban on donations from government contractors and a change to allow unlimited contributions through separate segregated funds or political action committees.
At the center of the political firestorm is state Sen. Cal Kawamoto (D, Waipahu), chairman of the Senate Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations Committee.
Kawamoto, who is under investigation by the Campaign Spending Commission for allegedly exceeding the limit on campaign fund donations to charities, had inserted the money-for-votes amendment prior to the bill's crossover to the House.
Kawamoto had said this week he did not see a problem with his proposal and wanted to make clear that donations from campaign funds to charitable causes are expenditures, not contributions.
He added that these groups have a right to refuse the money.
But others see the issue differently. Ira Rohter, co-chairman of the Green Party of Hawaii, said in written testimony that Kawamoto added this change to nullify his alleged illegal vote-buying in the community.
"This senator now wishes to legalize his violation of the law, by changing the law after the fact," Rohter said.
Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee is expected to approve an amended Senate bill Tuesday that makes an assault against law enforcement officers performing their duty a Class C felony.
Most who testified favored Senate Bill 1275. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill.
