HAWAII REPUBLICAN PARTY FILES A NEW CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION COMPLAINT AGAINST HD11 CANDIDATE KANIELA ING

News Release from Hawaii GOP

HONOLULU, HI - The Hawaii Republican Party filed a new complaint on September 27th with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission against 'Friends of Kaniela Ing.'

The complaint was filed by Hawaii Republican Party Vice-Chair Boyd Ready on behalf of the Party. Ready stated: "Ing knew he was under scrutiny after the first complaint, but instead of cleaning up his act he committed new violations of Hawaii campaign spending laws."

The new 16-page complaint asks the Commission to sanction House District 11 candidate Mark Kaniela Ing for numerous violations of campaign spending law. Allegations include:

• False reporting and double reporting of campaign expenditures including expenditures of public funds.
• Failure to properly report a campaign loan
• Accepting a contribution in excess of the $2000 legal limit.
• Failure to report expenses for five full-color Maui News ads which ran August 5-11, 2012.
• Filing his "Expenditures of Public Funds Report" twelve days late.

In addition to the new violations, Ing's response to the HRPs earlier complaint has raised new concerns. In comments provided to the Campaign Spending Commission, the HRP points out:

• Ing now admits that he received illegal excess public funding but claims the excess was "unexpected." This is contradicted by Ing's own CSC reports and by his statements to the Maui News.[1]
• Ing provided only two expense receipts to document the end use of $5923.76 which he previously reported was paid directly to him. Both receipts have date irregularities and for 17 of 19 transactions Ing has provided no receipt at all.[2]

[1] HRS 11-412(b) provides: "Any person who knowingly or intentionally falsifies any report required by this part with the intent to circumvent the law or deceive the commission ... shall be guilty of a class C felony."

[2] HRS 11-412(c) provides: "A person who is convicted under this section shall be disqualified from holding elective office for a period of four years from the date of conviction."

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LINK: Full Text of CSC Complaint

LINK: GOP Response to Ing's Response to 1st Complaint

September 8, 2012: CSC: New Campaign Spending Violations by Kaniela Ing

August 24, 2012: Campaign Spending: HD11 Candidate Kaniela Ing Could Face $14,000 Fines, Felony Charges 

MN: State GOP files complaint against Ing campaign

MN: Ing faces new campaign finance complaint