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Spending The state Campaign Spending Commission is looking into 42 city-paid trips over the last 10 years taken by Honolulu Councilwoman Rene Mansho.
Commission probes
Mansho travel
In question are 42 city-paid
trips over the last 10 years, for
which taxpayers paid
nearly $50,000By Gordon Y.K Pang
Star-BulletinThe commission requested and received Mansho's city travel records last month in connection with its investigation into whether the councilwoman improperly used campaign funds for travel and other expenses not related to office-seeking.
Charles Price, Mansho's attorney, confirmed that he and his client have been asked to reconcile the city travel records and money taken from the campaign account.
"The issue is if she was using campaign funds to front money for travel and then later got reimbursed by the city," Price said. "The question is should we put that money back in the account."
Price said Mansho's position all along has been that the law allows surplus campaign funds for Council-related expenses.
The commission had been expected to take up the matter next week, but the case has been postponed until March 13 to allow Mansho time to work on her records.
According to the Council records, Mansho went on 42 trips from 1990 through 2000, most of them related to the Hawaii State Association of Counties, or its parent organization, the National Association of County Organizations.
Both groups consist of elected municipal politicians with the intent of fostering relations between municipalities and advancing their mutual interests.
Taxpayers, through the Council, have paid nearly $50,000 for those trips by Mansho.
The Council paid out $9,443.35 for Mansho's 22 HSAC-related trips to the neighbor islands through 2000. Of that amount, $5,767.81 was in direct payments to Mansho.
The Council also paid out $37,690.56 for NACO-related trips to various mainland cities, including Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Missouri, Baltimore, Maryland and Boise, Idaho. Mansho received $21,237.91 of that directly.
Robert Watada, the commission's executive director, declined to speak specifically about what he and his staff are looking into.
"We're seeking any information that will further our investigation of the campaign spending records," he said.
"We're continuing to negotiate and we're continuing to investigate," Watada said. "The investigation means that we're continuing to look at the data and draw conclusions. And if we feel there is improper expenditure of campaign funds, then we're going to ask her to pay it back."
Price said Mansho has been cooperative.
"She's always been willing to pay whatever the commission believes needs to be reimbursed," he said.
"The point of contention has always been whether Mrs. Mansho intentionally did anything wrong in violation of campaign spending laws."
A preliminary report by the commission staff on Mansho's finances centered around about $32,000 in various expenses that it viewed as questionable, including $12,212 in American Express charges and $7,097.95 for establishing a "City Council" office at a Mililani shopping center staffed by Council employees.
The city Ethics Commission is also investigating allegations that Mansho had staff work on campaign matters on city time.
City & County of Honolulu
