Rutledges’ group got
no favors, says Lingle

Gov. Linda Lingle, a one-time employee of the Hawaii Teamsters, denies that her administration gave the labor union's offshoot Unity House or any of its employees favorable treatment.

Federal agents testified in court Tuesday that Unity House's then-President Tony Rutledge met 11 times with Bob Awana, Lingle's chief of staff and political director. Rutledge has been indicted on federal charges of fraud and tax evasion in the Unity House investigation.

The federal government contends that Rutledge and his son Aaron controlled the nonprofit labor organization and used Unity House funds as an investment vehicle for his family.

Lingle said Tony Rutledge's problems "are something that he will have to deal with."

"No one has raised an issue about special treatment; no one has implied that anyone got special treatment," Lingle told reporters yesterday after a speech at the Ala Moana Hotel.

"No one gets special treatment in our office, whether it is Unity House or anyone else, and that is the beginning and end of the story," Lingle said.

The governor also defended her approval of a bill proposed by former state Rep. Romy Mindo that changed the status of Unity House. Mindo, a former Unity House official, had a loan from Unity House at the same time he was proposing favorable legislation.

"The bill passed unanimous. There was no opposition expressed. No one spoke to me about it -- no one from Unity House and no one from the administration," Lingle said.

"It was one of many bills sent up to me where there was no opposition, and it is very rare we would pay too much attention to it," she said.

Awana testified twice before the grand jury that indicted Tony and Aaron Rutledge, but has said he was not a subject of the investigation.

After Lingle lost her first race for governor in 1998, Awana had several contracts with Unity House, a nonprofit organization founded to serve members and retirees of the Teamsters Union and the Local 5 Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union.

Lingle worked for the Hawaii Teamsters and Hotel Workers in 1975, after graduating from college.