Mansho's problems with city growing

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Beleaguered City Councilwoman Rene Mansho is likely to pay another government agency $40,000 "for reimbursement to the city for the misuse of her staff's time" and lose her city travel privileges as a result of continuing investigations into suspected wrongdoing.

That's the latest response to a report released yesterday by the city's Ethics Commission, which had been investigating the veteran councilwoman since June 6.

Commission executive director Chuck Totto said that the city corporation counsel's office negotiated the $40,000 settlement with Mansho and her attorney.

Totto said that the commission staff estimated that the use of Mansho's staff time on non-city work amounted to $148,000.

Totto said that many of the incidents fell within a period that lapsed under the statute of limitations and that Mansho "saved the commission considerable time and expense by not contesting the matter."

The corporation counsel's office indicated that city attorneys went forward with the settlement as recommended by the commission staff.

Totto said that the five-member commission makes its recommendations to the council but cannot require any action. "We have no ability to fine," he said.

On Tuesday, Mansho was fined $40,000 by the state Campaign Spending Commission as part of a settlement that ends its probe of her campaign spending law violations.

The commission found that she admitted to using tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money for a variety of personal expenses that included meals and travel.

On Wednesday, Mansho was removed by the council from her leadership positions as budget chairwoman, as budget committee member and as vice chairwoman.

The report that emerged yesterday showed Mansho acknowledging use of staff time and city resources to run her campaign and to support the Aloha Boat Days effort to re-create nostalgic greetings for cruise ship arrivals.

"A senior legislative aide and other staff members stated that they were required to manage Ms. Mansho's campaign fund over the last 12 years," the opinion said.

Mansho attorney Charles Price released a statement that said: "Ms. Mansho's charitable and civic intentions were good and noble. Her staff's time spent on these activities was wrong."

The statement indicates that Mansho apologizes to her constituents.

"She is trying to make things right by paying the amounts set forth in the settlements."

But the Ethics Commission report appears to counter those statements.

It reads, "the continuing disregard for the prohibition against campaign activities in this case is troubling because it appears to be blatant and to have thrived for more than a decade."

The report said laws exist to prevent this kind of abuse.

"The taxpaying public rightfully expects that city funds will be used for legitimate city functions and will not be diverted to bestow unwarranted advantages on politicians, their pet projects and favorite community causes, no matter how praiseworthy."

The report indicates in several places that the commission believed that Mansho knew what was going on. "She was not an innocent victim," Totto said.

Yesterday, the Ethics Commission also recommended that:

* Mansho and her staff end all unethical conduct and practices.

* The council impose "disciplinary measures it deems appropriate."

* The council require Mansho and her staff to receive training from the Ethics Commission on the city's standards of conduct.

Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura said he plans to encourage the council to accept the commission's recommendations, including the $40,000 fine. As for additional discipline, Yoshimura said, "We have removed her as budget chair and from the Budget Committee. We have removed her as vice chair. We will no longer allow her to take city-sponsored trips."

The council is required to act on the recommendations within 15 days.

It would be up to the voters of Council District 1 (Mililani, Wahiawa, North Shore) to act if they wished to remove her from office. The City Charter says that a council member "may be impeached for malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance." The action that starts an impeachment is a petition signed by at least 1,000 registered voters of the district.

Asked about the effect of this opinion on other city officials, Totto said: "Hopefully, they'll think twice."

Totto said the commission detailed the reasoning behind this opinion, partly so that "others who may be tempted to take this path will not do it."