Deal possible
on campaign fineRoyal Contracting would pay
$20,000 for illegal donations
Royal Contracting Co. would pay a $20,000 fine for donating money under false names or over the legal limit to the campaigns of Mayor Jeremy Harris, Mufi Hannemann and D.G. "Andy" Anderson, under a proposed settlement.
Leonard Leong, Royal Contracting's vice president and a member of the Honolulu Police Commission, declined to comment late yesterday, saying the agreement with the state Campaign Spending Commission had not yet been signed.
"We won't comment until the commission makes their finding," he said yesterday. "I have not signed it. It's under discussion."
Royal's officers, employees and family members have donated $27,000 to Harris' campaign since 1996, according to a copy of the proposed agreement. Most of the contributions listed were made in the name of Leong and his relatives, including his wife, Sherrilyn, and his sister, Lisa Ann Leong.
Under state law a person or company can give no more than $4,000 for a mayoral race and $6,000 for a gubernatorial race during a four-year election period. The law treats an individual, and any corporation in which the individual owns a controlling interest, as one entity.
Donors are barred from giving money under false names.
Royal Contracting President David Hulihee, officer Edwin Hulihee and Leong each made $5,000 donations in July 2002 to Anderson, who was running for governor, for a total of $15,000, according to the agreement.
Another $12,300 in contributions went to Hannemann's campaigns from family members, officers and employees of Royal since 1997, the agreement shows.
The law allows fines of up to three times the amount of illegal contributions, according to Tony Baldomero, associate director of the Campaign Spending Commission.
The Campaign Spending Commission meets next on Monday. If approved, the fine would go to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund, which provides public funding for elections of qualified candidates and helps pay for Campaign Spending Commission operations.
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3 appointees join commission
Gov. Linda Lingle has appointed three new members to the state Campaign Spending Commission, effective yesterday, who will take part in their first meeting on Monday. They are:>> Attorney Gino Gabrio, a partner in Cades Schutte LLP, who focuses on real estate and banking.
>> Paul Kuramoto, a certified public accountant with Tokumoto, Yamamoto & Ichishita, CPAs, Inc.
>> Steven Olbrich, managing partner for Olbrich Farms, of Waianae.
They replace Clifford Muraoka and Richard Choy, whose terms expired in June, and Della Au Belatti, who resigned.
