Engineering firm chief
fined for illegal donationsThe state judge tells Ernest Hirata
his crime was a "breach of trust"
A state judge has fined a local engineer $2,000 for making illegal political contributions to Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign.
District Judge Faye Koyanagi also ordered Ernest Hirata to conduct 25 hours of community service and to pay $100 to the state Crime Victims Compensation Fund, saying the violations involved "a breach of trust."
Hirata pleaded no contest yesterday to misdemeanor charges that he exceeded the $4,000 campaign contribution limit and gave money under a false name to the Harris campaign.
Koyanagi granted Hirata's request for a deferral of his no-contest plea, which will allow him to have his criminal case dismissed if he stays out of trouble for a year.
Hirata is president of Aiea-based engineering firm Ernest K. Hirata & Associates Inc.
According to the state Campaign Spending Commission, the Hirata firm, its employees and their relatives contributed more than $44,000 to the Harris campaign.
Donors linked to the company gave more than $23,000 to former Gov. Ben Cayetano's campaign and $9,000 to former Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana's campaign, according to the commission, which is conducting a separate, civil investigation of the firm.
Former City Councilman and current mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann received more than $16,000 from people linked to the Hirata firm from 1998 to 2002, according to the commission.
Under state law, a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a mayoral candidate during a four-year election cycle. They also cannot make contributions in the names of others.
Since the investigation began in 2002, the Prosecutor's Office has issued criminal charges against nearly 30 donors linked to major city contractors.
Several -- including SSFM International Inc. Chief Executive Officer Michael Matsumoto and Royal Contracting Co. Vice President and former Honolulu Police Commissioner Leonard Leong -- have pleaded no contest to the criminal charges.