PRP Gets $3,100 Fine For Campaign Violations
The penalties involve spending and reporting omissions regarding two County Council races and a ballot initiative.
Groups听affiliated with Pacific Resource Partnership,听 for union carpenters and contractors, were fined $3,100 by the state Campaign Spending Commission on Wednesday for failing听to report expenses and other information.
The commission voted 4-0 to levy penalties on the听Hawaii Carpenters Market Recovery Program Fund, Forward Progress and PRP executive director John White.
Commission attorney Gary Kam told Civil Beat Thursday that听the fine were听based on three separate counts.
The first count was for failure to report a $5,000 contribution from the听Market Recovery Program to Good Beginnings Alliance, and failure to register听with the commission. Good Beginnings unsuccessfully backed听a ballot measure in the November election that would have allowed the use of public money for private preschool programs.
The second count came from a complaint made听by a Maui resident regarding canvassing听by听Forward Progress in the听Maui County Council race. The听political action committee failed to tell the commission what candidate they supported or opposed, as is required under a recently enacted law.
PRP canvassers in Honolulu in 2012.
Nick Grube/Civil Beat
The third count came from the Big Island and focused on paying for mailers in opposition to a Hawaii County Council candidate that were not reported.
Kam said the records have since be amended. Separately, two complaints against PRP involving the 2012 race for Honolulu mayor are pending with the Honolulu听Prosecuting Attorney.
Read Civil Beat’s related coverage:
Super PACs Wade Into Local Races, and Voters Are Left in the Dark
Cashing In: Local Super PACS and Other Special Interests Spend Big
Hidden Super PAC Money Comes to Light in Campaign Spending Reports
Hawaii Monitor: We Need More Timely Disclosure of Money in Elections
PRP鈥檚 Campaign Spending Violations Sent to City Prosecutors
