Senators request audit of campaign spending panel

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Senate President Robert Bunda and other senators are calling for the state auditor to investigate the Campaign Spending Commission's operations, including whether it enforces the law fairly or engages in "bounty hunting."

Among those co-sponsoring the resolution requesting the audit is Sen. Cal Kawamoto, whose campaign finances are under investigation by the commission.

The resolution follows bills introduced by Kawamoto last month that would allow the Senate to fire the Campaign Spending Commission executive director without cause and to appoint members of the commission.

Kawamoto has said the commission's investigation had nothing to do with his introduction of those bills.

Robert Watada, the spending commission's executive director, said the resolution appears to be a reaction to the work the commission has been doing in trying to enforce campaign spending laws.

"I guess you can see that there are some people who aren't going to like what we're doing, but we're obligated to enforce the campaign spending law as it's written," he said.

Watada said he is not concerned about an audit.

"I think that we're doing everything pretty much by the books and what the law requires," he said. "But I certainly question why one is being called for at this time."

Kawamoto, D-18th (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City), declined to comment and referred questions to Bunda, the lead introducer of the resolution.

Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa), did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 21 requests that the state auditor investigate and review the operations of the commission, its staff, and any agency or person who assists the commission.

The audit would cover the financing and recordkeeping of the commission and its electronic filing system. The resolution also calls for the audit to determine "whether, and how, the commission ensures equal treatment under the law" and "whether the commission or any of its staff engage in activity that could be considered to be a form of 'bounty hunting.' "

The audit also would look at whether the commission should be prohibited from commenting publicly about cases during the investigation "to protect the accused's right to confidentiality and to ensure the presumption of innocence of the accused until proven guilty," the resolution states.

The resolution says campaign financing has long been a source of controversy and debate in national, state and local elections, and that Hawai'i campaign spending laws are "sometimes complicated and confusing."

"Public confidence in the entire election process would be improved by an audit that produces one or more reports on the operation of the Campaign Spending Commission ..." the resolution says.

Others who signed the resolution are Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim, Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa, Majority Caucus Leader Shan Tsutsui, Sen. Melodie Aduja and Sen. Norman Sakamoto.

Grace Furukawa, president of the Hawaii Clean Elections Coalition, said the resolution "looks more to the public like harassment by at least one senator under investigation rather than a sincere attempt to determine how monies are spent or if biases occur.

"I'm sure that Dr. Watada can withstand whatever investigation comes his way."

Regarding the Kawamoto case, Watada has said the commission received a citizen complaint last year about charitable contributions made by the senator's political campaign and how the campaign was reporting contributions it received for an annual Waipahu community picnic event it sponsored.

The contributions from individuals and companies were listed not as contributions to the campaign but as donations by the campaign to the community event, Watada said.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.