Ex-Rep. Ing is fined additional $18K for campaign infractions

May 9—1/1

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Kaniela Ing:

In 2018, the state Campaign Spending Commission assessed nearly $22,000 in penalties, fines and restitution against him for inaccurate reports filed between 2011 and 2016

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Former Maui state Rep. Kaniela Ing faces an additional $18,250 in state

Campaign Spending Commission fines after the commission on Wednesday made a "preliminary determination" of probable cause that Ing committed another 24 violations of campaign spending laws.

Ing previously paid off nearly $22,000 in fines through monthly installments and was charged with a criminal misdemeanor for original campaign spending violations.

Ing appeared virtually before the commission on Wednesday and vowed to challenge its decision through a contested case hearing.

He submitted 12 pages of testimony that included the personal and professional toll from the original and latest cases.

"Since 2018," he wrote, "I've encountered major obstacles in securing employment locally in Hawaii, enduring over a year and a half of relentless job hunting. In 2019 and 2020, I suffered the blow of having two job offers rescinded after accepting them and completing paperwork. These decisions were prompted by the discovery of media stories about me online, resulting in a staggering eighteen months of missed income totaling over $130,000.

"... These challenges persisted when the Commission reopened my corrected 2018 reports in 2023, persisting through every continuance granted. The burden of these fines has exacted a heavy toll, inflicting substantial financial strain, profound mental anguish, and fracturing relationships with family, friends, and community members. ... To my knowledge, no other candidate in Hawaii's history has personally contributed such a substantial sum to the

Commission."

The commission's executive director, Kristin Izumi­-Nitao, called the case against Ing "unfortunate," "unprecedented" and "historic."

But despite two separate Campaign Spending Commission cases against Ing to correct his campaign spending records, Izumi-Nitao said "all the reports were wrong. Nobody will ever know correctly the extent of who gave the money and how he spent the money in the three years he was elected into office."

For the third hearing this year in his most recent case, Ing appeared without legal counsel and said he could not afford representation.

Ing represented South Maui in 2018 and was running for Congress when the commission assessed nearly $22,000 in penalties, administrative fines and restitution for 23 inaccurate reports he filed between 2011 and 2016.

He paid the penalties by making monthly payments of "around $300 to $350," Gary Kam, the commission's general counsel, told the commission. "It took a while though."

In February 2023, the city Department of the Prosecuting Attorney filed a criminal complaint against Ing alleging that he "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly failed to timely file a supplemental report with the

Campaign Spending Commission" by a July 31 deadline for the period covering the first six months of 2022, thereby committing the offense of "failure to timely file (a) supplemental report with the Campaign Spending Commission."

Ing pleaded no contest and received a "deferred acceptance of no contest." He faced the possibility of a year in jail and $2,000 fine.

The Campaign Spending Commission at the time accused Ing of using campaign funds to cover $2,125 in rent for residences on Oahu and Maui and $219 to make a payment on his domestic partner's credit card account. Ing also deposited a campaign check worth $2,000 into his personal checking account but failed to document it on his campaign spending reports.

The latest 24 accusations included a $1,000 fine for failing to keep records and $750 for each of 23 accusations of filing "23 false amended reports.

The prosecutor's office declined to file charges in Ing's second round of alleged campaign spending

violations.

In his statement to the commission, Ing questioned why commission staff continued to pursue a case against him instead of other political candidates — among several other points.

But Ing provided no documentation of why the amended campaign spending reports he filed were

accurate.

He was supported Wednesday by Evan Weber, who co-founded a "social welfare organization" with Ing called Our Hawaii

Action.

In a follow-up statement following his appearance, Weber also did not disprove the campaign spending allegations against Ing.

Instead, Weber called them "very small mistakes he made as a young grassroots candidate in his campaigns that occurred over a decade ago."

"When young, working class candidates who may want to take on the political establishment see the way that Kaniela has been treated by this commission, as opposed to the treatment of those with large war chests, fancy lawyers, and connections to the legal and corporate political establishment are treated, do you think it makes them want to run for office?" Weber asked.

The commission voted unanimously that there was probable cause that Ing again violated campaign spending laws.

But commissioner Victor Bonfiglio made an unsuccessful motion to reduce the amount of Ing's fines from $18,250 to just $100.

Bonfiglio also represented the commission's lone vote against imposing the higher fines.

In a statement following Wednesday's hearing, Ing

repeated his arguments that the commission should not have pursued a second case against him and said he will seek a dismissal of all counts through a contested case hearing.

"The relief I am seeking is the adoption of Commissioner Victor Bonfiglio's request of a $100 total fine for all counts," Ing wrote.