Posted on: Saturday, May 29, 2004

Duke Bainum campaign fined

Advertiser Staff

The campaign of Honolulu mayoral candidate Duke Bainum has paid a $100 fine to the state Campaign Spending Commission after it was cited for a recent radio advertisement.

The commission had ordered the Bainum campaign to pull the ad and pay a fine because the ad did not contain disclaimer language saying who paid for the ad and whether it was endorsed by the Bainum campaign.

The campaign contended the ad was designed as a public service announcement to get people to register to vote.

Public service announcements are protected by the First Amendment as free speech and are not regulated by the Campaign Spending Commission as long as they do not endorse a candidate or urge voters to support a candidate.