Last year, the State Ethics Commission said it was investigating a number of instances in which public employees accepted invitations to participate in golf tournaments courtesy of companies doing business with their departments.
In November, 2013, the commission fined one DOT employee $7,500 for accepting such freebies.
He apparently accepted a number of invitations to play in charity golf tournaments and recreationally at places like Mauna Lani Resort from 2007 to 2010. His entry fees, which ranged from $150 to $800, were paid for by DOT vendors directly subject to his official action as an engineer, according to the commission’s Nov. 20 resolution of the charge.
Aside from eating, drinking and playing golf for free, the employee also won prizes that included a $5,000 Rolex watch, Oakley sunglasses and inter-island trips. The commission says the dozen or more prizes he won should have been reported as gifts at a minimum.
This action seems to have spurred new disclosure by a number of employees.
I’ve just started looking at the 2014 gift disclosure statements which are due today. The reports are filed with the Ethics Commission, and are available online.
Six engineers with the Department of Transportation, and one at the University of Hawaii, reported accepting gifts of golf from several different contractors. One UH architect also golfed at contractor’s expense. These disclosures include gifts accepted over several years, in one case as early as 2009.
DOT
Cajigal, Ferdinand
Played in four golf tournaments paid for by SSFM International.
Value: $902Hee, Brandon
Two tournaments paid by Ameron
Value: $604.83
(“filer states that he does not recall”)Kunishige, Karl D.
Four rounds of golf and food paid by R.M. Towill Corp.
One golf tournament paid by Kai Hawaii.
Value: $719Matsuo, Reed
Golf on two occasions paid by R.M. Towill.
Value: $245Santo, Paul T.
Two golf tournaments paid by SSFM.
One golf tournament paid by Ameron Hawaii.
Value: $703Takamoto, Wade
One golf tournament paid by R.M. Towill
Value: $540
UH
Yoshioka, Carl T.
One golf tournament paid by Hawaiian Telcom.
One golf tournament paid by Bowers & Kubota Consulting
Value: $645Bruce Teramoto
(Architect, UH Office of Capital Improvements)
Five golf tournaments paid by Bowers & Kubota
Value: At least $1,295
I just happened to turn up these golf gifts when checking the situation at DOT, then searching for “engineer” and “architect”. Judging from this sample, I doubt these are unique.
It will be interesting to see what last minute filings produce.
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It’s good the matter came to light and prompted others to finally file reports.
But why wasn’t the identify of “John Doe” revealed? How can that be justified?
This is the culture at DOT. Golf gifts are just the surface stuff. More than any other state agency, DOT leadership over the years has fostered an all male samurai attitude where face saving and blind obedience are top priorities. Transparency, wise decision making and public accountability are stifled at every turn.
DOT desperately needs sunshine transparency and reform
Nah, no worry. UH loves DOT deadwood. Minaai, Okimoto, Johnson.
Hilarious! I hope that doesn’t mean the UH regents will seek out Emperor Brennon Morioka too! He was the epitome of DOT culture.
DOT is funded mostly by the gas tax directly, not the legislature! Natural consequence is less accountability or transparency.
Incompetence and complete indifference to the public too.