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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 12:26 p.m., Thursday, November 20, 2003

Five more indicted in Harris campaign fund case

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

An O'ahu grand jury today indicted five people on misdemeanor charges for allegedly funneling illegal campaign contributions to Mayor Jeremy Harris.

The indictments come two weeks after one of the defendants, Kenneth Sakai, and four others were charged with similar offenses, and are the latest in a long series of allegations to emerge from a wide-ranging campaign finance investigation that has focused mostly on money that went to Harris.

Indicted today along with Sakai were John Adversalo, Jay Mende, Masae Mende and Daniel K. Rosario.

Adversalo, president of Architects Pacific Inc., was charged with two counts of making campaign contributions under a false name. Jay Mende was charged with one false name count and one count of exceeding the $4,000 campaign contribution limit; Masae Mende and Rosario were charged with both offenses; and Sakai, an executive with the R.M. Towill engineering firm, was charged with two false name counts and one excessive contribution count.

Their attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. Each of the charges carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Harris’ attorney has repeatedly said the mayor never solicited or knowingly accepted illegal campaign contributions. Harris has not been charged with wrongdoing.

Nine other defendants have been fined after pleading no contest to similar charges related to Harris, and many others have been fined by the state Campaign Spending Commission.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.