Subject: News/Press Release - Hawaii Anti-Gay PAC Accepts Illegal Foreign Money
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 13:43:55 EST

For redistribution is possible - this is only first step is series of formal
charges to made against this organization - Help get the word out.

News and Media Release - for immediate release

February 25, 1998	   				Contact:  William E. Woods, MPH 
									    Phone:  808-537-2000

Political Action Committee's First Report Reveals Receipt 
and Deposit of Foreign Contributions from Australian Consulate General

Australian Consulate General states "Save Traditional Marriage - 98 Report was
false" - "[He] never contributed to the political action committee and does
not know why they listed him as a contributor."

	Dual complaints were filed today by civil rights watchdog, William E. Woods
with the State of Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission as a result of
contributions reported being received by a foreign national to the Save
Traditional Marriage-98 group.  The complaints specify that in STM-98's
Disclosure Report to the State of Hawaii for the last half of 1997, the
Australian Consulate General (Mr. Colin McDonald) in Honolulu was listed as a
contributor, in the amount of $200.  As a result, complaints were filed both
against STM-98 for soliciting and accepting the contribution, and the
Australian Consulate General for making such a contribution.  When Mr.
McDonald was contacted by Mr. Woods, McDonald claimed he "never gave nor
intended to give any money to the political action committee called Save
Traditional Marriage - 98.".  Mr. Woods, in his complaint, allowed that the
Australian Consulate may not have knowingly broken the law, and that some
"...ruse..." may have been used to solicit the funds without making it clear a
political contribution was involved.  The complaint also explicitly pointed
out that Linda Rosehill, a coordinator and consultant for STM-98, is an
attorney and a previous State Campaign Commission Commissioner, and should
have no acceptable alibi for violation of the law.
The complaints request the Campaign Spending
 Commission take the following steps:
	- Full Investigation of the contribution;	
	- Full Return of the contribution;
	- Payment of the highest possible administrative fine;
	- A Cease And Desist of the violations of the statutes;
	- And if the violation was intentional, full pursuit of any and all criminal
prosecutions of the 	   parties involved.
	
	In talking with Mr. Woods, Australian Consulate General McDonald stated that
he was expected to leave shortly for an extended trip away from Hawaii.  As a
result Mr. Woods has requested that the State Campaign Commission take
immediate action in the investigation of the complaint to seek an official
statement before Mr. McDonald's departure.
	For exclusive interviews and additional information, please contact Mr. Woods
at (808) 537-2000 during regular work hours.