Campaign panel
fines Harris

The commission says the Harris
campaign has failed to
correct errors in its reports

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By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com

The state Campaign Spending Commission is fining Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign $50 a day, saying the campaign failed to correct errors in its public reports.

Bob Watada, the commission's executive director, said the Harris 2000 mayoral campaign did not identify the names and occupations of about 20 people who each gave more than $1,000 to the mayor's successful re-election effort.

Watada -- who placed a legal notice in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on Thursday notifying the campaign of the alleged infraction -- said the commission asked the Harris campaign in October to provide a detailed listing of the names and occupations of dozens of contributors.

Watada said the Harris camp provided much of the information that he requested. But he said that the names and jobs of several donors were missing.

Chris Parsons, an attorney for the Harris campaign, had no immediate comment, saying he has not seen the commission's notice.

Parsons has previously denied wrongdoing, saying the Harris campaign has cooperated with the commission.

Harris, who defeated former City Councilman Mufi Hannemann in last year's mayoral race, has announced plans to run for governor as a Democrat in next year's elections.

According to Watada, the campaign contributions were made between Jan. 1, 1996, and Nov. 26, 2001.

The legal notice said the Harris campaign will be fined $50 for each day it is delinquent beyond Thursday.

The proposed fines come a week after the Harris campaign filed a formal complaint against Watada with the state Ethics Commission. In the complaint, Parsons said Watada violated the state ethics code by unfairly disclosing information about his office's probe into the Harris campaign.

Watada said the Harris campaign is trying to harass the commission, which is looking into contributions made to Harris during the 2000 mayoral election.

The commission recently fined seven local companies for giving more than the $4,000 legal limit to the Harris camp.