Democratic fliers
called unfair

A bipartisan panel condemns
mailings aimed at unseating
a GOP House member

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Two attack ads by the Hawaii Democratic Party are "inaccurate, misleading and unfair," according to an independent, bipartisan campaign reform group.

The Clean Campaigns Project reviewed two mailings sent by the Democrats that attack Rep. Mark Jernigan (R, Keauhou-Honokohau).

One ad says Jernigan voted against numerous construction projects in the state budget and accuses him of being absent from conference committee meetings 46 percent of the time.

Both allegations are false, said Marilyn Bornhorst, one of the two Democratic members of the campaign project.

"I am a Democrat ... but what they said is not correct," said Bornhorst, a former City Council chairwoman.

The mailer claims that Jernigan voted no on the final vote of the budget, when in fact he voted yes. In previous votes, Jernigan had voted no.

Brickwood Galuteria, Democratic Party chairman, called the mistake "a typo."

"We stand by our piece," Galuteria said. "We consider our mail-outs to be firm and factual."

Republicans called the mailings "lies" and said the Democrats should apologize to voters.

The call for an apology was also made by Warren Iwasa, the second Democrat on the Clean Campaigns Project.

"The mailer confuses conference committee votes with floor votes and with attendance in the Legislature. This is confusing, inaccurate and unfair.

"It would be a good idea for the party itself to issue an apology," Iwasa said.

Jernigan was not available for comment, and his Democratic opponent, Josh Green, said he had nothing to do with the mailings.

Brennon Morioka, GOP chairman, said the voters in Jernigan's Big Island district "need an apology and also Rep. Jernigan."

"The Democrats are blatantly and purposefully trying to dirty our incumbents' records," Morioka said.

Senate GOP Leader Fred Hemmings (R, Lanikai-Waimanalo) accused the Democrats of repeating the same misleading tactics that were used two years ago.

In the 2002 general election, the Democratic Party sent out a series of false mailings accusing some incumbents of voting against a cap on gas prices, when they had voted for it. In some instances the Democratic mailings charged that candidates who had not served in the Legislature had voted for the gas cap.

"This is not spins; it is lying and it is intolerable. The lesson is that you can't trust these people," Hemmings said.

The Clean Campaign Project is made up of two Democrats, Bornhorst and Iwasa, and two Republicans, Randy Roth and Kate Zhou. Advising the group are Rep. Galen Fox (R, Waikiki) and Sen. Les Ihara (D, Kapahulu-Palolo).

The committee said the mailings were misleading because they "encourage voters to think of Jernigan as somebody who has shirked his duty. According to the record, Jernigan was present and on time 59 of 60 days that the House was in session."

"We have now unanimously agreed the mailers attacking Rep. Jernigan cross the line of fairness, and the message is based on incorrect facts," the committee noted.

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