Ethics chief brings up tourism aide's pay

By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state's top ethics official said Gov. Linda Lingle's office should seek the Ethics Commission's advice on her proposed use of private money to help pay for the salary of a Cabinet-level tourism liaison.

The tourism liaison positionhas yet to be filled. Part of the reason is that Lingle's office is still trying to work out how to offer a competitive salary and details on what the job will entail, said a Lingle spokesman.

The governor said last week that she would seek private financing from business associations to help pay for the appointee's salary. She said she could not find someone of high caliber from the tourism industry unless she offered an adequate salary.

But the proposal raised potential conflict-of-interest issues, because a tourism liaison paid with private money could be viewed as beholden to industry groups that provided his or her salary.

Dan Mollway, state Ethics Commission executive director, said anyone in government seeking to solicit private money for a state position should ask for an advisory opinion from the commission.

"It's a difficult question," Mollway said. "When a situation comes up that is something new, it's something that really has to be looked at."

Lingle spokesman Russell Pang said he did not know whom the governor or her representatives consulted so far.

Donna Mercado Kim, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Tourism, said Senate leadership has discussed the issue and may consider a measure addressing it.

"There should be some sort of state policy," Kim said. "It seems to be starting a new precedent."

There are various laws regulating private contributions to government. However, it is unclear whether these would apply to a governor's appointee. .

Mollway said that "once you begin going down the road of having the private sector pick up the tab of government officials, I think it does create serious, serious problems and they ought to be brought to the Ethics Commission."

Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470, or at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Corrections: The headline mistakenly said that state Ethics Commission executive director Dan Mollway brought up the issue of private financing for a tourism liaison post. Mollway was responding to questions from a reporter.