Lawmaker Ing accused of spending violations

The staff of the state Campaign Spending Commission is recommending that state Rep. Kaniela Ing be fined more than $15,000 over an extensive list of violations he is attributing to clerical or bookkeeping mistakes — including misuse of campaign funds, filing false spending reports and exceeding campaign spending limits — going back three election cycles.

Ing, who is running for a seat in Congress, is accused of a wide range of offenses including filing 23 false spending reports, using campaign funds for personal use, commingling personal and election accounts, filing late reports and exceeding campaign spending limits, according to the commission’s complaint, which was redacted to protect financial information. There were a total of 31 complaints.

Ing (D, South Maui) told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Thursday that he is ready to appear before the Campaign Spending Commission next week and take full responsibility.

“I’m confident that they won’t find any ill intent, any malice or purposeful violation of any laws,” Ing said. “If there were any clerical or bookkeeping mistakes, that’s my responsibility, and I’ll take any remedial action that’s needed. Ultimately it’s all on me. … There’s no excuse.”

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday — just 90 minutes before he also is scheduled to appear before a Chamber of Commerce Hawaii candidates forum along with others running for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District.

Ing could face criminal prosecution if the Campaign Spending Commission decides that he knowingly or recklessly violated campaign finance laws — and then chooses to refer the case to either the state attorney general or the city prosecutor.

But the Campaign Spending Commission staff is recommending that Ing be fined $15,422, that he reimburse $2,344.55 to his campaign account and that his campaign pay $2,000 to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund.

Although the staff has recommended financial penalties, the commission has a range of options, said the commission’s executive director, Kristin Izumi-Nitao.

“They can dismiss it (the complaint) or ask for more investigation,” Izumi-Nitao said. “They can find that there was a violation and fine him administratively or civilly. Or, if they decide there appeared to be an intentional knowing or reckless violation of campaign spending, they could refer it to criminal prosecution.”

Ing, 29, said he now has a professional team of accountants working on his congressional campaign and that he takes responsibility for any errors in his previous campaigns for the state House.

“If I made any mistakes in reporting from my campaign in my early 20s, I’m sorry and I stand corrected,” Ing said. “I was raised to know that it’s OK to make mistakes only if you learn from them and take action so it never happens in the future. … I wanted to be a public servant, not a public accountant.”

Ing said he ran his first campaign by himself after working a 4 a.m.-to-noon shift in the locker room of the Four Seasons.

“And then I would go out knocking on doors, doing all of my emails,” Ing said. “If there were any mistakes, if there were bookkeeping errors, that ultimately falls on me.”

Ing insisted that he has learned from his mistakes and called the experience “a really good lesson. In the past I had a lot of confidence in my ability as a public servant and … I think I was overconfident in being able to be an accountant, as well. Lesson learned.”

He said voters should know that he now has “a really strong team” around him in his congressional race.

He said he has taken progressive stances on a range of issues and refuses to accept political action committee money.

Ing said he insists on “speaking with a new level of truth.”