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Honolulu City Councilwoman
Rene Mansho

Two commissions
investigate Mansho

A lei vendor says she
improperly used campaign
funds and office staff to
promote Aloha Boat Days

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

City Councilwoman Rene Mansho's support of the cruise-ship industry is being investigated by the state Campaign Spending Commission and the city Ethics Commission.

The agencies are looking into whether Mansho improperly used her campaign funds and her position on the Council to further Aloha Boat Days, which offers lei greeters and live music to passengers on cruise ships arriving in Honolulu Harbor.

Funding for the nonprofit group comes primarily from the cruise industry.

Mansho denies that she did anything improper and believes her support of Aloha Boat Days is promoting economic development.

"With Aloha Boat Days, I don't feel I've done anything wrong, and I do not think I've personally benefited in any way," Mansho said. "The primary reason we all got involved is to help our ailing economy."

The investigations were initiated after complaints filed by lei vendor Haunani Acohido, owner of Asiann's Inc.

In her complaint to the Campaign Spending Commission, Acohido charged Mansho with using her campaign funds for nonpolitical purposes, a violation of state campaign laws.

Acohido said she alleged to the Ethics Commission that Mansho is "using City Council facilities and (staff) time for her private interests."

Robert Watada, executive director for the Campaign Spending Commission, said Acohido's complaints will be heard Oct. 10.

"On the face of it, it looks as though there are questions as to whether there were expenditures that were campaign-related," Watada said.

"The law does say you only use money for purposes of a campaign to get yourself elected -- and she's not on the ballot."

All spending on Boat Days

Watada noted that Mansho has spent the cash balance from her 1998 re-election bid on charities. A campaign rule allows a candidate at the end of the campaign period to spend the surplus on charity.

Mansho spent her surplus but has held fund-raisers since then and continued to spend money.

Mansho's latest campaign spending report, filed July 28 for the period from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year, listed two expenditures totaling $368.93 that are tied to promoting Aloha Boat Days.

Mansho also acknowledged that in April, she used campaign money to pay $1,468.73 to KITV-4 for a Boat Days-related advertisement, although it is not listed on her report.

"I use campaign funds to support Aloha Boat Days as a city-supported community activity," Mansho said.

"My understanding is that it was appropriate, and that's why I did it," she said. "If the Campaign Spending Commission determines it was not appropriate, I will abide by whatever their recommendations are."

Mansho said she got involved with Aloha Boat Days because it is part of her job as a councilwoman to promote economic development.

Ties to cruise industry

Mansho said she does not get any compensation from any of the groups but acknowledged that she may have received contributions from the maritime industry.

In March 1999, Mansho received $2,000 to attend a cruise industry conference in Miami. Mansho noted that she reported the expenditure in her gift disclosure statement to the city.

At the time of the trip, Mansho was pushing through a bill she introduced to have the city's Royal Hawaiian Band play for free at Aloha Boat Days.

Mansho said she attended the same conference this spring at her own, personal expense.

As for the Ethics Commission complaints, acting executive director Chuck Totto confirmed that an investigation tied to Mansho is under way.

But Totto said Ethics Commission rules bar him from discussing details of the case.

Acohido said the charges involve the use of Mansho's Council resources, including her staff, to help in endeavors such as Aloha Boat Days.

Denies action against vendor

Mansho declined to discuss the Ethics Commission investigation other than to say she does not think she broke the law.

Acohido said she believes Mansho persuaded Royal Caribbean Cruises to stop purchasing leis from her company, Asiann's Inc, when one of its ships docks at Aloha Tower.

Mansho denied ever making such a recommendation.

Lisanne Vogel, the Miami-based manager of hotel purchasing for the cruise company, denied any influence on the part of either Mansho or the Aloha Boat Days Committee, and said Mansho's name is "not one I'm familiar with."

The decision to use other vendors was strictly a business one, she said.