By William Cole
Advertiser Courts Writer
Former state Sen. Marshall Ige pleaded no contest yesterday in District Court to an amended campaign violation charge that his attorney quickly downplayed.
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| Former Sen. Marshall Ige reflects on his no-contest plea in District Court. He faces trial on other charges May 14.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser |
In reaching the plea agreement, defense attorney Michael McCarthy said the attorney general’s office now agrees that Ige’s actions were "merely technical campaign spending violations."
McCarthy previously characterized the charges as "piddly" misdemeanor accusations "which were the same thing as a parking ticket."
But in consolidating seven 1999 charges into the accusation of certification of inaccurate campaign spending reports, to which Ige pleaded no contest, Deputy Attorney General Kurt Spohn said the state’s goal had been accomplished.
"What we want out of this is a campaign spending violation (finding) because that’s what this case is all about," Spohn said. The consolidated count relates to an $18,262 debt prosecutors say Ige improperly reported and $22,500 in loans they say he misrepresented. The charges Ige had faced included failure to report campaign expenditures, failure to report a campaign deficit and lying to investigators.
Spohn also chafed at McCarthy calling the accusations "piddly" and likening them to parking tickets.
"It’s a serious matter when a public official fails to disclose financial information on reports that are legally mandated," he said.
Ige still faces a pending felony case involving theft, money laundering and other charges.
Yesterday’s misdemeanor case carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $2,000 fine, but Ige is expected to ask that his plea be deferred to give him a chance to have the case dropped if he abides by conditions similar to probation. Ige declined to comment yesterday after his plea.
District Judge Tenney Tongg set April 24 for a hearing on either the sentencing or the request for a deferred plea.
Ige is scheduled to go on trial May 14 on felony theft, money laundering and attempted tax evasion charges related to his alleged dealings with an elderly Beverly Hills couple and Punalu‘u farmer.
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