Posted on: Friday, September 10, 2004

No contest plea likely on contributions

Advertiser Staff

An architect charged with making illegal campaign donations to Mayor Jeremy Harris will likely plead no contest to two misdemeanors next month, his attorney said yesterday.

Prosecutors filed the charges last Friday against Dwight Mitsunaga, president of Pacific Architects Inc., for allegedly donating $18,000 more than the legal limit, including giving $10,000 under false names. The donations were made in 1999 and 2000, said city Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee.

Defense attorney Dale Lee said Mitsunaga plans to seek a deferred acceptance of a no contest plea when he's arraigned Oct. 1. Defendants charged in similar cases over the past two years have been granted deferrals, which allow them to clear their criminal record if they aren't charged with additional offenses.

"He has cooperated with the prosecution, and we are anxious to see the matter resolved," Dale Lee said.

Randal Lee confirmed that Mitsunaga has been cooperating, and said he had given authorities a "full statement."

Each count carries a maximum penalty of a one-year jail term and a $2,000 fine.

Prosecutors have charged dozens of defendants over the past two years with making illegal campaign donations, mostly to Harris.

Harris has not been charged with any crime and his lawyer has repeatedly denied he has done anything wrong.

The legal donation limit for mayoral campaigns is $4,000 per donor during a single campaign period of four years.

Advertiser Staff Writers Johnny Brannon and Ken Kobayashi contributed to this report.