Subject: 1st VICTORY ! Day After Complaint Filed/Public - Ilegal Foreign $ To Be Returned
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 02:41:38 EST

Aloha Folks,     -   Please redistribute as possible - we are making a
difference

The first victory came just 23 hours after the filing of charges of Campaign
Spending law violations of the political action organization "Save Traditional
Marriage -98" 

Linda Rosehill, spokesperson - attorney - fundraising coordinator of the
political action committee told Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter Wednesday
afternoon that the organization had agreed to return the $200. they had
solicited, received and documented from the Australian Consulate General
(foreign national).   It is illegal for foreign entities to make any
contribution to organizations that are political action organizations (promote
specific candidates or ballot issues).

As reported yesterday, two formal complaints were registered with the Hawaii
State Campaign Spending Commission against the organization and the Australian
Consulate General noting the illegal contribution and violation of state law.

As reporters were beginning to call around asking all the parties questions
about the complaint, Rosehill stated that the Save Traditional Marriage-98
political action committee would be returning the money.

Immediately a letter from myself to the Director of the Campaign Spending
Commission was sent outlining the additional actions a remedies that were
proscribed in the complaint that still need to be followed to get justice in
this violation.  [See letter at end for complete view.]

I, and those who are assisting in the research into these and other apparent
violations are very concerned that all the investigations and remedies take
place to assure that we get the bottom of the problem.  There are at least
seven other complaints being drafted at this time covering a number of
apparent violations that we believe were well orchestrated and will be proven
to be criminal in the end.

The group raised almost $100,000 in a one-day fundraiser that both the
Australian Consulate General and his staff member Magill Hind stated they were
not aware was a political action fundraiser. 

The unraveling of how the money was solicited, how information was
inappropriately or misleadingly reported, and how the principals orchestrated
and engaged in the fundraising effort will be the focus of future complaint
filings with the State Campaign Spending Commission and a number of other
local, state and federal authorities.  Get ready! -- Someone has to do the job
and a few of us have begun it.

Of course, I and the others reviewing documents and laws and making
interviewing calls with potential witnesses are open to others ideas and input
to doing it right, effectively, and successfully.  If you have views that we
need to know, please send us a message.  If you know of people who may have
evidence that would be of help, please tell us about it or direct them to us
as well.

do good,

William E. Woods, MPH

*****
February 25, 1998

Mr. Bob Watada
Director, State Campaign Spending Commission
235 S. Beretania Street, Room 300
Honolulu, Hawaii  96813

			RE: Two complaints filed yesterday with your office
Dear Mr. Watada:

	Since filing the two complaints from your office I have had a conversation
with the Australian Consulate General, a conversation with a staff of his
office, Magill Hind, and faxed two documents to them for their information.

	I have attached those documents to demonstrate my attempt to get the facts in
the case and to promote their speaking and offering information to your office
on how the foreign funds were transmitted to the Save Traditional Marriage-98
political action committee.

	A few minutes ago I was contacted by Honolulu Star Bulletin reporter Keith
Kosaki who was putting together a story on these complaints.  He stated that
Linda Rosehill, representing Save Traditional Marriage -98 had told him that
the organization was refunding the $200. originally collected from the
Australian Consulate General.  

	This refund, after charges and formal complaints were made, meets only one of
the remedies that I sought and I believe are necessary to assure justice in
this situation.  As you will see from the two faxes is sent the Australian
Consulate General and Magill Hind that statements made by them to me show at
least two different understandings of the reported contribution.  Mr. McDonald
stated that he did not contribute to the organization nor intended to.  Ms.
Hind stated to me that she had authorized funds to this organization, but was
unaware that they were for political action committee purposes.  She further
indicated that she attended the purely political forum event for which part of
the funds were utilized.  That forum was clearly a political action activity
by any sense of meaning.

	I wish to reiterate that the additional remedies and actions requested are
still very much needed and important.  At least one person in the Australian
Consulate knew or should have known that the activities she participated in
using the Australian Consulate General funds was for political purposes.
Intent of the contribution still very much needs to be determined and
additional remedies and penalties established if intent was there.  This is a
function of a necessary investigation and promotes your office continuing to
follow the filed complaint with actions and remedies still to be addressed.

	As for the complaint against the solicitation, receipt and depositing of the
foreign funds by the Save Traditional Marriage -98, each of the actions and
remedies are also still needed.  If Ms. Rosehill's statement to the Honolulu
Star-Bulletin are accurate she has seen fit to respond to the illegality of
the funds and is returning them in accordance to just one of the actions and
remedies I spelled out in their complaint.  However, additional remedies,
investigation, administrative fines, criminal investigation and possible
prosecution are still necessary.  Getting caught in a violation should not
just mean a return of illegal funds when the principals in this organization
are so well versed on the law and the issue of foreign money so well-known to
all who are conducting such political activities.

	I sincerely appreciate your honest and dedicated work to get at the complete
truth in this matter and to promote justice in the light of violations of the
laws you have sworn to uphold.

		Sincerely,

		William E. Woods, MPH

P.O. Box 37083
Honolulu, Hawaii  96837

(808) 537-2000

Australian Consulate General
Mr. Colin McDonald
1000 Bishop Street, PH
Honolulu, Hawaii  96813

Dear Mr. McDonald:

	I talked with you a short while yesterday regarding the State Campaign
Spending report filed by the political action committee called, "Save
Traditional Marriage - 98."

	Your title, address and amount of $200. was identified in their contribution
list.  Because I have been in a process to review and find legal violations, a
complaint form was generated against you as a foreign national contributing to
a Hawaii political action committee which is in violation of state law.

	I have attached a copy of the actual complaint filed.  Please note that I
made a statement in that complaint that you told me that you had not given
money to this group nor intended to.

	For the record, I would like to request a statement from you making any
statements about this report of a contribution from you to the political
action committee.   I am particularly concerned that you believe that you did
not give such a contribution which seems to be echoed by others on the
contributors list.  There may be some other process going on here that your
statement would help identify.

	My address is:  P.O. Box 37083, Honolulu, Hawaii  96837.  My direct number is
(808) 537-2000.  I can be faxed also, but it is a different number and
requires a computer to be turned on to take a fax.  If you wish to fax me
please call my direct line and I will turn on the fax process.

	I sincerely wish you the best.  The complaint is a matter of form because of
the blatant identification of a foreign national as a contributor.  I hope
that this will all be straightened out soon.  If I can be of any help to you
in this matter, please give me a call.

Sincerely,

William E. Woods, MPH

 February 25, 1998

Mr. Colin McDonald
Australian Consulate General
1000 Bishop Street PH
Honolulu, Hawaii  96813

Dear Mr. McDonald:

	In a call that just came to me from your staff person, Ms. Magill Hind, it
became clear that you were not aware that the formal complaint about
contributions of a foreign national was a public and form action that was
filed yesterday afternoon.

	Please note that in the complaint that it states that you had told me that
you did not make the contribution nor intend to.  I stated in the remedy
section that if that is true that your contribution should be returned to you
and no other action taken.  This does not pertain to the other complaint filed
at same time that shows that the organization "Save Traditional Marriage - 98"
was in violation of accepting it.

	In talking with Ms. Magill Hind, she stated it was she that authorized the
payment to this group, but was completely unaware that it was a political
action campaign committee contribution.  She attended an advertised conference
but did not know that all the proceeds taken in for it and the political
action dinner that night were for political action purposes.  Because the
dinner was an absolutely clear political action forum it makes me quite
surprised that it could be understood in any fashion.  However, due to
fairness I believe that a statement from you and Ms. Magill made as soon as
possible to the facts of the situation would help us understand that the
fundraiser may not have been clearly advertised as a political action
fundraiser which would address the major issue in the complaint against you
and your office.

	I am not trying to cause you trouble, however, the complaint is based solely
on the contribution of prohibited foreign funds to a political action campaign
which has to be addressed.

	I sincerely wish I could be of assistance to you, but at this point I think
the most prudent step would be to clearly explain how your funds ended up as a
political contribution.  If there were no intent on your part or that of your
office then I think the funds would be returned and the situation reasonably
understood.

Do good,

William E. Woods, MPH

(808) 537-2000

P.O. Box 37083
Honolulu, Hawaii   96837