Panel probing city
contractor’s gifts

---

By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com

The state Campaign Spending Commission recently opened an investigation into Royal Contracting Inc. for allegedly giving excessive campaign contributions to Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' 2000 re-election campaign.

People familiar with the investigation said the commission is focusing on $15,000 in political donations that are linked to Royal Contracting Vice President Leonard Leong.

The contributions include:

>> Three June 26, 1999, checks for $2,000 each from Leong, wife Sherrilyn and his sister Lisa Ann Leong to the Harris campaign.

>> Two Aug. 28, 1997, donations for $2,000 each from Sherrilyn Leong and Leong's father, Wally Leong. Lisa Ann Leong contributed $1,000 on that same date.

>> A Nov. 5, 1999, contribution from Leonard Leong for $2,000 and a $1,000 check two weeks later from Lisa Ann Leong.

>> A Sept. 16, 2000, donation for $1,000 from Paul Leong, who is Leonard Leong's son and a former analyst with the New York stock brokerage firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

Leonard Leong declined comment on the commission's investigation.

Bob Watada, the commission's executive director, also had no response.

Under state law a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a mayoral candidate during a four-year period.

Leong's company is a major contractor for the city. Since 1994, Royal Contracting has successfully bid on more than $38 million in city construction work, according to city records.

Officials in the Harris administration and his campaign have denied any connection between political contributions and contract awards.

RICK DAYSOG / RDAYSOG@STARBULLETIN.COM A major city contractor provided these curbstones to Honolulu Managing Director Ben Lee to build a walkway at Lee's Punchbowl-area home. Some stones date back to the territorial era.