Posted on: Saturday, December 18, 2004
Two fined in probe of donors to Harris
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer
The presidents of two Honolulu engineering companies were fined $2,000 each and ordered to perform community service yesterday after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges stemming from illegal campaign donations to Mayor Jeremy Harris.
Lennox K. Nishimura, 56, and Myles Y. Shimokawa, 55, illegally funneled more than $70,000 to Harris' campaign committee, said Deputy City Prosecutor Randal Lee. Nishimura heads ECS Inc., and Shimokawa heads KSF Inc.
Each pleaded no contest to two counts: making contributions under a false name, and exceeding a $4,000-per-donor legal limit.
District Judge Faye Koyanagi granted both defendants a chance to clear their criminal records if they abide by conditions similar to probation for one year, but ordered the fines and 200 hours of community service for each.
Lee said Nishimura was responsible for $39,350 that went to Harris, while Shimokawa directed $33,400 to the campaign. The money was donated under the names of relatives, employees, and friends of the defendants, Lee said.
Defense attorney Howard Luke said the amounts were small in comparison to illegal contributions by others who have been charged with similar offenses over the past three years.
"It was a practice that everyone seemed to engage in, and it's a good thing that it's coming to an end," Luke said.
Lee said the men had refused to cooperate with an investigation until police obtained search warrants for their offices. "What they did in this case is jeopardize their own family, friends and employees by having them violate the law," Lee said.
Luke said that both had wanted to cooperate, but that the situation was complicated because it involved other suspects and attorneys who wanted to protect their rights. "All I want to say is that they are very decent human beings, and this will never, ever happen again," Luke said.
KSF was fined $16,000 by the Campaign Spending Commission last year for the same donations, and for others that went to former Gov. Ben Cayetano.
Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
