State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim is asking the University of Hawaii athletic department to explain how it collects money it is owed and why it enters agreements with people who owe it money.

The questions come in the wake of reports that the department is owed $50,000 by an Arizona-based company, Idol Sports & Entertainment, that it continued to contract with.

Under terms of a 2013 contract, UH said it was due the money no later than 60 business days after a Nov. 16 basketball game against Missouri in Kansas City promoted by Idol.

Despite the lack of payment, UH signed additional contracts with Idol this summer.

At least one of those games has fallen through following the death of Idol owner John A. Hines a month after the contracts were executed. That has resulted in what could be a $75,000 reversal for UH.

In a letter, Kim said the Senate is asking, "what are the university procedures for collecting monies due and what are the procedures for settling past due accounts? Were these procedures followed in this particular case?"

In addition, Kim is asking "Why was a new contract signed with Idol when they were in violation of a previous contract …"

She also wants to know, "Does Idol Sports group have an obligation to fulfill the rest of the contract scheduled in 2015 and ’16?"

Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa) led the 2012 hearings into the so-called "Wonder Blunder."