Bishop Estate faces
possible criminal
charges in Ige,
Holt contributions
Five firms are also targeted
in the alleged illegal campaign
financing schemeFull text of Court Master Colbert Matsumoto's
By Rick Daysog
First Supplemental Report
Star-BulletinThe state Campaign Spending Commission has told the Bishop Estate that the trust may face criminal charges over alleged illegal campaign contributions to state Sen. Marshall Ige and former Sen. Milton Holt.
The commission on Friday sent notices to the estate, Ige, and Holt, a Bishop Estate employee, informing them that they may have violated spending rules.
The commission also sent letters to Yukio Takemoto, the estate's principal executive for budget and review; and Namlyn Snow, who heads the estate's government affairs department, notifying them of possible criminal charges.
Also, five engineering and architectural companies that took part in the alleged illegal campaign financing scheme received target letters from the commission.
The companies include Kajioka, Okada, Yamachi Architects Inc.; Sato and Associates Inc.; Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates; Akinaka & Associates Inc.; and Okita, Kunimitsu and Associates.
An estate spokesman could not be reached for immediate comment. The trust's attorney, William McCorriston, was not available for response. Ige and Holt could not be reached for comment.
Bob Watada, the commission's executive director, said the alleged campaign spending violations were recently detailed in Attorney General Margery Bronster's petition to remove Bishop Estate's trustees.
Bronster charged that the estate solicited the five companies to pay off campaign debts for Ige and Holt in 1994 after rewarding the firms with nonbid contracts.
Watada said he will recommend the commission turn the case over to Bronster for prosecution. The commission meets again Oct. 20.
Violating campaign spending laws is a misdemeanor that can result in up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.
If convicted, Ige would have to surrender his Senate seat and would be banned from holding elected office for four years.
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