Posted on: Thursday, December 23, 2004

Campaign commission to set fine for architect

Advertiser Staff

The state Campaign Spending Commission is scheduled to vote next week on an agreement that would fine Honolulu architect Dwight Mitsunaga to settle an investigation of illegal campaign contributions.

The probe found that Mitsunaga helped funnel $15,000 to then-Gov. Ben Cayetano, $13,000 to Mayor Jeremy Harris, $6,000 to then-Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana, $4,000 to then-City Council Chairman Arnold Morgado and $1,500 to then-Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono.

Campaign Spending Commission director Robert Watada said the panel's five voting members would set the amount of the fine on Wednesday.

Mitsunaga was fined $2,000 in October after pleading no contest to two misdemeanors stemming from the donations to Harris. He has not been prosecuted for the other donations.

His attorney, Dale Lee, said Mitsunaga had cooperated fully with the investigation and that the campaign commission had handled the case fairly.

Mitsunaga is the brother of Dennis Mitsunaga, a top political fundraiser for Harris and others who has long been under investigation by the commission and prosecutors. Dennis Mitsunaga has not been charged with wrongdoing, and recently underwent a lie-detector test to assert that he is innocent of any wrongdoing.