Firm agrees to
campaign fines
A tentative settlement comes after
a state probe found the firm made
illegal political donations
An Aiea engineering firm will pay more than $100,000 in fines under a tentative settlement with the state Campaign Spending Commission.
Ernest K. Hirata & Associates recently agreed to the penalty after a commission investigation found that the firm and its President Ernest Hirata funneled nearly $100,000 to the campaigns of Mayor Jeremy Harris, former Gov. Ben Cayetano, ex-Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono and other local politicians.
The fine requires the approval of the commission's five member board, which meets Friday.
Hirata could not be reached for immediate comment.
Bob Watada, the commission's executive director, declined to disclose the actual amount of the penalty. By law, the commission can fine the Hirata firm three times the amount of the illegal donations. But in most cases the state agency has opted for fines of about $1,000 for each illegal contribution.
The commission's investigation found that the firm made about 120 political contributions in the names of dozens of company employees, friends and relatives.
According to the commission, the Harris campaign received 48 contributions totaling $41,120 from people linked to the Hirata firm while the Cayetano campaign accepted 42 gifts totaling $22,450 from the same people.
Former Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana's campaign received $9,000 while the Hirono campaign received $9,250. Mufi Hannemann, who was elected mayor this week, received $5,350 during the aborted 2002 mayoral race. Under state law, a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a mayoral candidate during a four-year election cycle.
They also cannot make contributions in the names of others.
In May, Hirata pleaded no-contest to criminal charges that he made excessive political donations to the Harris campaign and gave money under false names to the Harris campaign.
A state judge later granted Hirata a deferral, which gives him the opportunity to have the misdemeanor dismissed from his record if he remained trouble-free for a year.
