State ethics panel rejects
complaint over gathering

It rules that Democrats had a right
to utilize the Capitol courtyard

The state Ethics Commission said a complaint filed by Republicans against Democrats over use of the state Capitol courtyard for a political news conference is without merit.

Democrats cheered the ruling, while Republicans said it did not go far enough.

"The Republican complaint was frivolous, unsubstantiated and was a desperate publicity stunt to discredit our Democratic candidates," said Brickwood Galuteria, state Democratic Party chairman.

Brennon Morioka, GOP chairman, said he was disappointed in the ruling, saying that the commission discussed whether the Department of Accounting and General Services, which is responsible for the Capitol, was at fault.

"We weren't asking about special treatment from DAGS," Morioka said.

The state GOP filed an ethics complaint in July saying the 14 Democrats who held a news conference at the state Capitol to announce their political candidacies misused public property.

But the Ethics Commission said because the courtyard is a public space, it is not the same as if an elected official used his or her office for political purposes, which would be an ethics violation.

The commission noted that the Department of Accounting and General Services has rules in place governing the use of the courtyard "by all in a fair and impartial manner."