News, notes and anecdotes
on government and politics
Campaign spending
irregularities dog Aduja
The senator says she is cooperating
with the state investigation
State Sen. Melodie Aduja says she is cooperating with an investigation into her campaign spending and will work to resolve a formal complaint filed against her last week, which alleged the lawmaker had not accounted for about $2,300 in payments.
The state Campaign Spending Commission is investigating more than $30,000 in campaign payments made to Aduja's ex-husband, who was also deputy chairman of the lawmaker's campaign committee.
Aduja (D, Kaneohe) said she has provided the commission with receipts for $27,000 and expects to turn over the remaining records by Wednesday, when the commission's five-member board meets.
A news release sent out by Aduja's attorneys said the lawmaker has "honestly attempted to comply" with the rules.
Aduja's ex-husband, Lee Williams, was arrested in April in a Chinatown drug raid. The commission is investigating more than $30,000 in cash withdrawals that Williams made while working on Aduja's campaign.
The commission has also questioned a payment on a $3,000 loan to a Jennifer Loma and nearly 20 checks totaling $9,500 made out to campaign Treasurer Elizabeth Gates.
The loan payment to Loma was not documented in Aduja's disclosure reports as is required by law. The payments to Gates are considered unauthorized expenditures under state law because Gates is authorized to sign checks for Aduja's campaign committee.
In the release, Aduja's attorneys said the senator's campaign committee "has since modified their accounting process in compliance with the special formalities and the rules of the commission."
'Olelo TV joins voter drive
'Olelo Community Television and the state Office of Elections are launching "Vote! 2004," a series of cable television programs over the next four months intended to increase voter turnout and create a more informed electorate.Hawaii was the lowest-ranked state for voter registration in the 2002 elections, and the state with the lowest registration and turnout in 2000, according to U.S. Census Bureau reports.
The programs will be shown on VIEWS 54 and include three initiatives:
>> What's Your Vote? -- a series of forums by citizens who will discuss local issues.>> Candidates in Focus -- an opportunity for all candidates to speak in a seven-minute message that will air three weeks before the election.
>> Candidates Debate -- a series of 40 live debates among candidates in an hour-long program that will run every weeknight from September to November. For more information, visit www.olelo.org.
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