More possible ethic violations regarding the Sugar Bowl?

HSB Note: "In a potential violation of state ethics laws, a top aide to Gov. Linda Lingle helped a large contributor to Lingle's 2002 election campaign buy hard-to-get Sugar Bowl tickets using governor's office resources, e-mails obtained by the Star-Bulletin show. But Lenny Klompus, Lingle's senior adviser, wasn't the only official using his position and state government resources to try to buy tickets after the University of Hawaii sold out of its initial allotment of tickets on Dec. 4.

UH records also show that state Sen. Shan Tsutsui, vice chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for the university's budget in the Legislature, asked UH-West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni and UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw for Sugar Bowl tickets and two rooms from the university's allotment of hotel rooms at the New Orleans Marriott. He asked to buy the tickets and pay for the rooms.

Klompus also e-mailed former athletic director Herman Frazier and associate athletic director John McNamara on Dec. 5 to ask about the availability of tickets on behalf of two Cabinet members -- Attorney General Mark Bennett and Civil Defense Director Maj. Gen. Robert Lee. An e-mail sent from Klompus' office on Dec. 15 asked the UH-Manoa chancellor's office to buy two tickets for former Haseko Construction Co. executive Kenneth Choate and his wife Donna."


About how the Hawaii State Ethics Commission will examine the distribution of Sugar Bowl tickets to state officials, Commission Executive Director Dan Mollway said:
"There's a question of fairness. If you're basically using your official position to get special access to tickets that a member of the public wouldn't, we would see that as a violation (of state ethics laws)." (HSB)

HSB Note: "In a frenzy following the announcement that UH would go to the Sugar Bowl, the university sold out of its initial allotment of 8,500 tickets for the public. More than 350 season-ticket holders were put on a waiting list and ticket scalpers were getting up to $350 for good seats with a face value of $125."

About his request for tickets (he also added that he may have spoken verbally to UH administrators), Klompus said:
"We made it absolutely clear that if tickets were available at the end of the day, then it would be great if we would be able to purchase them. We would never, ever take a ticket away from anyone else." (HSB)

About his ticket request, Tsutsui (a season-ticket holder) said:
"I just asked if it was possible. If they told me I needed to do it in a different way, then I would have done it in a different way." (HSB)

About the request for tickets for him, Bennett said:
"I didn't ask for a favor. I asked whether there were tickets available for sale and ultimately I didn't do anything." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The attorney general said he and his wife were thinking about going to the game in New Orleans, but decided against it."

HSB Note: 'Mollway noted that the Ethics Commission is also looking into whether the university acted appropriately in paying for travel for spouses and children to the Sugar Bowl. Depending on the issues raised, Mollway said the attorney general's office might be called to give a legal opinion."

Lee said that he and his son attended the game, but got:
"no special price, no special seats. I'm not a season-ticket holder, but I lucked out." (HSB)

HSB Note: "UH records show the Choates, Lee and Tsutsui were put on the list of Hinshaw's official delegation with UH regents and major donors to the university seated on the lower level around the 40- or 50-yard line of the Superdome."

HSB Note: "Mollway, who said he could only speak generally on ethics issues and not about specific cases, noted that in making a request, especially if a state official is using government e-mails, there needs to be a legitimate state purpose."

About state officials using their government e-mail addresses to request tickets, Mollway said:
"If someone is simply asking for something when there's no state purpose involved, by making that request an issue is raised." (HSB)