From: WEWoodsMPH@aol.com Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 02:41:38 EST Subject: 1st VICTORY ! Day After Complaint Filed/Public - Ilegal Foreign $ To Be Returned 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