Campaign Spending Commission checking Harris records

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

State campaign spending officials have subpoenaed bank records related to the campaign finances of Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris but a spokesman said that Harris officials have received no formal notification of any campaign spending violations.

Campaign Spending Commission executive director Bob Watada declined to comment specifically on the requests for legal documents. He said he could not provide any details of the case because an investigation is ongoing.

"I don't want to alert the people we're investigating," Watada said. "We hesitate in saying too much."

Harris campaign attorney Chris Parsons said the campaign has readily answered questions from the Campaign Spending Commission. "We've never been found guilty of any violation," Parsons said. "We know of no specific allegations that we have done anything wrong."

Watada said he expects it will be at least six months before his office completes its questioning. He said staff is examining both contributions made and money spent by the Harris campaign. "That's nothing unusual. We're looking at a number of campaigns," Watada said.

The Harris campaign earlier paid back some money contributed over the legal limits. Companies and individuals are limited to giving $4,000 to each candidate for countywide office during a four-year election period.

If Harris follows through with his pledge to run for governor next year, his limit for running for that office will increase to $6,000 for each individual and company. Harris raised $2.8 million in his campaign for mayor last year, and spent $2.5 million.

"We're continuing to look at the contributions to find out if there's any excess contributions by anybody else," Watada said.

Parsons said Harris campaign officials sat down with Watada recently and reviewed records of four years of expenditures, from 1996 to 2000. Parsons said Watada asked for more information about certain items and provided no indication there was anything wrong.

Parsons said Harris campaign officials are scheduled to meet again next week with Watada.

Parsons said he was angered Watada would publicly discuss the inquiry. "It's unfair, it's unprofessional and if a prosecutor did it, he'd be fired," Parsons said. "It seems to us that he's playing a political game of 'gotcha.'"

Watada defended the inquiry. "We do have some questions about some of the contributions and we have questions about some of the expenditures," he said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at 525-8070 or rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com