Candidate accuses GOP of censorship

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

Republican candidate for governor John Carroll yesterday accused the Hawai'i Republican Party of censorship and "acting like a totalitarian dictatorship" for refusing to give him a list of more than 20,000 members of the state party.

Traditionally, the membership list with addresses have been released to Republican candidates, but GOP officials will now only release mailing labels, Carroll said.

They also require those mailing labels be placed on campaign material at Republican Party headquarters, which allows party officials to review the material.

Carroll, who is running against former party chairwoman Linda Lingle, called the new rules "a blatant attempt to control the opposition."

"That is dead wrong," Carroll said. "That's the kind of stuff they do in Communist Russia."

Party Chairman Micah Kane said a candidate "abused" the list before the 2000 election, prompting the new policy. He declined to identify the candidate or explain how the list was misused.

Kane said the party controls the list because it could be turned over to another party or used to send out false campaign material.

"Linda Lingle will have to go through the same process as John Carroll to access our members, and she's done it," Kane said.

Kane said he is willing to discuss the problem with Carroll, and Carroll can appeal the matter to the party central committee.

"I don't believe it's censorship. I believe it's trying to protect the integrity of the material that's going to our members," Kane said.