Spending panel
sends Holt case
to prosecutor
The panel says Holt converted
By Richard Borreca
campaign funds to personal use
Star-BulletinQuestions about former state Sen. Milton Holt's campaign finances have triggered a state criminal investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also reviewing Holt's campaign expenses.
Yesterday, the state Campaign Spending Commission voted to send Holt's case to the city prosecutor's office.
The commission charges that since 1992, Holt, a prominent former Democratic senator and an employee of Bishop Estate, loaned himself $15,000 and also paid himself $9,800 in petty cash disbursements.
Under state campaign laws, a candidate cannot use campaign money for personal expenses. Candidates are also required to give details of how their funds are spent.
The commission voted to turn the matter over to the prosecutor because it felt Holt knowingly violated the law and also failed to report the expenditures.
"The law doesn't preclude the prosecutor from other investigations or from other charges," said commission attorney Brian Nakamura.
The charges resulted from a discrepancy in Holt's last campaign spending report. That report was missing $43,000.
Holt said no money was actually missing, but when he filed an audited account, the commission proceeded to investigate his record back to 1992.
"We finally got a clean set of figures and found $25,000 is missing and kicked it over to the cops," Nakamura said.
Holt's attorney, Reginald Minn, declined to comment.
Peter Carlisle, city prosecutor, said he would take the case, refer it to the police for investigation and also check with federal authorities.
"They bring it to us, and we determine the charges. We will also determine if other entities are looking at him," Carlisle said.
If there are federal charges, Carlisle will see if the state misdemeanor charges or federal charges would have the most weight.
Students, parents and alumni members of Kamehameha Schools will hold a march Friday afternoon marking the one-year anniversary of the protest march that helped set off the Bishop Estate controversy. Kamehameha group
to mark anniversaryMembers of Na Pua A Ke Ali'i Pauahi, the grass-roots group of students and parents, also invited members of the local community to take part in the protest.
"The controversy has been unnecessarily drawn out for the last 12 months and tarnished the reputation of our beloved Pauahi's legacy," said Toni Lee, Na Pua's president.
Last year's protest, which included some 1,000 participants, raised the public's awareness of the controversy surrounding Kamehameha Schools.
Friday's 4-mile march will begin at 4 p.m. at the Royal Mausoleum at Maunaala and will end at Bishop Estate's offices at Kawaiahao Plaza at 7 p.m.
Marchers will travel down Nuuanu Avenue to downtown and will stop at Washington Place, Iolani Palace, the state Capitol and the Kamehameha statue.
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