University of Hawaii athletic department staff members who took spouses, friends or children to the 2008 Sugar Bowl football game on the school’s dime will not face charges, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission announced today.

The commission said in a written statement that it has “found insufficient evidence in this case to warrant pursuing charges against any individual for violating the state ethics code. ...”
However, the commission said the school should establish a “written policy containing specific guidelines applicable to the University’s participation in postseason football events, subject to review by the Commission, in order to comport with the State Ethics Code.”
At issue was UH’s travel practice for the Jan. 1, 2008, game against Georgia in New Orleans.
The commission checked to see whether state employees, guests, and others who received tickets, hotel rooms or flights served a legitimate purpose by being in New Orleans and if state ethics laws were violated. In June, UH delivered a 48-page response to the commission's questions.
Although some questions were initially raised about children who accompanied staff on the trip, Dan Mollway, executive director of the commission, has said "everyone who went is a matter of potential review."
UH previously disclosed the names of nearly 600 people who formed the travel party for the game. The school said it paid nearly $2 million for the group that included football players, band members, officials, family members and some guests. The commission sent UH an extensive list of follow-up questions in February.
In a letter to UH Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw today, Mollway wrote:
“The Commission concluded that the Sugar Bowl presented unique circumstances for the University of Hawaii, and that organizing the trip to New Orleans for a large contingency from Hawaii under extreme time constraints was a significant undertaking for the University. Because the invitation to the Sugar Bowl was a “first” for the University, the University did not have a written policy in place that applied specifically to a postseason football event of this magnitude, which required travel to the Mainland for a great number of individuals.
“The Commission found no evidence of bad faith on the part of the University of Hawaii in terms of the decision that were made by the University concerning travel to the Sugar Bowl.”
The commission announced that was closing its 14-month-long review of the matter.