Campaign spending
office levies finesThe ruling is for illegal donations
to Harris, Cayetano and Apana
The state Campaign Spending Commission has approved more than $35,000 in fines against four local companies for making excessive political contributions.
By a 5-0 vote, the five-member commission approved a $32,000 fine against the engineering firm of Shimabukuro Endo & Yoshizaki Inc., which made $22,500 in excessive and false-name contributions to Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, former Gov. Ben Cayetano and ex-Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana during the 1998 and 2000 elections.
The commission also voted unanimously to fine local architecture firm Group 70 Ltd. $2,000 and local insurance broker Alan Nishimoto $500.
According to the commission, Group 70 made $4,000 in excessive contributions to Harris, while Nishimoto gave $2,000 in over-the-limit donations to Harris.
By a 4-1 vote, the commission approved a $1,000 fine against Hida Okamoto & Associates Inc., which made $3,750 in excess contributions to Harris.
Under state law, donors can give no more than $4,000 to a mayoral candidate and $6,000 to a gubernatorial candidate during a four-year election cycle.
The fines are among several dozen issued against local government contractors by the commission during the past two years.
So far, the state has collected about $300,000 in fines.
Campaign Spending Commission