Firms to pay fines
for illegal donationsThe two companies agree to pay more
than $90,000 to settle charges against them
Two local engineering firms agreed yesterday to pay more than $90,000 in fines to settle charges that they illegally made excessive political donations to several local politicians.
Engineers Surveyors Hawaii Inc. agreed to a $78,500 penalty, while Hilo Engineering Inc. said it will pay $12,000 to resolve the commission investigations.
The fines require the approval of the commission's five-member board, which meets on Wednesday.
In an 11-page agreement, the commission alleged that employees of ESH and their friends and their relatives made more than $250,000 in political donations to Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, former Gov. Ben Cayetano, gubernatorial candidate Andy Anderson, former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, former Honolulu City Councilman Mufi Hannemann and ex-Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana.
According to the commission, Harris received $96,100 from people linked to the ESH firm, followed by Hannemann, who raised $45,800 from ESH employees and their relatives.
Cayetano received $38,500 while Anderson received $33,750. Hirono raised $27,200 from people linked to ESH, and Apana received $10,000, the commission said.
As for Hilo Engineering, the commission alleged that the firm's employees contributed $22,000 to Yamashiro's campaign between 1995 and 2000.
Under state law, donors can give no more than $6,000 for a statewide election and $4,000 for a county election during a four-year election cycle. They also are barred from making political donations under false names.
ESH and Hilo Engineering are the latest in a string of more than 60 companies fined by the commission during the past several years. So far, the commission has levied more than $1 million in fines against local companies for making illegal campaign contributions.