[ OUR OPINION ]
Ban criminals from
bidding on contractsJUDGES' gentle slaps on the wrists of contractors caught violating campaign spending laws are making it imperative that a ban on county or state contracts for violators be put into effect. The latest insult to the anti-corruption laws was state District Judge Lono Lee's piddling $1,000 fine of contractor Leonard Leong, an agreement to dismiss the charges if Leong toes the line for a year and his praise for Leong as an "exemplary" member of the community.
THE ISSUE
A contractor has been fined $1,000 for violating campaign spending rules in contributing to the campaign of Mayor Harris.The state Procurement Policy Board decided in September to bar any company that is fined at least $5,000 for making illegal campaign contributions from receiving state or county contracts. The board should implement the rule promptly.
Lee's indulgence of Leong is especially troubling because of the judge's experience as a private attorney in providing legal services to the city Ethics Commission before being appointed to the bench seven months ago. While apologizing for but not admitting to his criminal behavior -- pleading no contest to a misdemeanor -- Leong took Lee's praise to heart, failing to grasp why he should resign his seat on the Police Commission.
Leong is vice president of Royal Contracting Inc., which has received more than $38 million in city construction contracts through competitive bidding in the past decade. City officials have insisted that campaign contributions don't influence the awarding of contracts.
If true, that raises questions about why Royal Contracting donated more than $53,000 in illegal political contributions to the campaigns of Mayor Harris, former City Councilman Mufi Hannemann and ex-gubernatorial candidate D.G. "Andy" Anderson. Leong, who was accused of making donations to the Harris campaign in his sister's name, entered his plea a day after Royal Contracting negotiated a deal to pay a $20,000 fine to the state Campaign Spending Commission for its multiple violations.
City Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee said Leong not only made excessive contributions to the Harris campaign, he also tried to conceal his behavior, which "not only undermined the electoral process but also undermined the position he held at the Police Commission." The commission investigates citizen complaints against police officers.
Judge Lee's wink at Leong follows a lenient fine and imposition of community service of SSFM International executive Michael Matsumoto by Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto, who called Matsumoto's felonious conduct "common pattern and practice."
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Sex-tape allegations
need investigationREPORTS of a videotape of football players at Kamehameha Schools engaging in sex with a female student along with a lawsuit alleging other incidents of sexual misconduct bring distressing attention to the beleaguered institution.
THE ISSUE
Kamehameha Schools is struck with two cases involving sexual misconduct allegations.Circumstances at present do not warrant an inquiry on par with one directed at the schools' trustees a few years ago, as the attorney who filed the lawsuit suggests. However, police should investigate possible violations of state law in the videotape case.
In addition, school officials, who acknowledge that the videotape allegations "are very serious," should apprise the public of its findings in the matter without revealing information that would embarrass or damage individuals who were involved.
The suit alleges that a former Kamehameha football player sexually assaulted and harassed a female student beginning in 1998 and continuing until 2001 when the school paid her tuition so she could attend another school. The girl had no choice but to leave because Kamehameha officials would not expel the football player, the suit says.
The litigation was prompted, the lawyer said, after reports during the weekend that six Kamehameha football players had been suspended before an important game because of the videotape.
The lawsuit accusations involve none of the suspended players, but similarities in both incidents set a context for concerns about the school's policies and practices.
School officials say the videotape allegations require "a thorough and balanced review" and that "if any disciplinary actions are appropriate, they will be implemented in a confidential manner" between those involved and the school, indicating the issue will be kept under wraps.
The school should protect the privacy of students because they are underage. However, the result of a review should be made public not only because of the school's prominence in the community, but to assure parents and other students of its integrity.
Meanwhile, the police department says it will not investigate the videotape allegations because no one has complained or presented any evidence, but state law prohibits possession and production of videotapes depicting minors engaged in sexual conduct. The seriousness of the matter alone should be enough to prompt an investigation.
