HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A state Ethics Commission attorney has cleared Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim’s contracted lobbyist to perform his duties without registering as a lobbyist.
County Corporation Counsel Joe Kamelamela asked for the attorney’s opinion after County Council members questioned why contracted employee Andy Levin wasn’t registered with the state as is required of lobbyists lobbying on behalf of third parties, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Tuesday.
Kamelamela said Levin does not have to register because he is considered a county employee.
Registered lobbyists are required to submit regular reports detailing how much they spend on lobbying activities.
Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy initiated the discussion on whether Levin should register. She said she’s not completely satisfied with the answer.
“It’s led me to ask more questions; however, there are more important issues to deal with,” Loy said.
Kamelamela told Lee Loy in a Jan. 8 memo that he researched the state Ethics Commission website to determine if it addressed the specific case of a contracted employee and found no relevant decisions or guidelines. He then spoke with Ethics Commission attorney Nancy Neuffer, who verified there were none.
“Ms. Neuffer, nevertheless, determined that Mr. Levin was exempt from registering as a lobbyist given the terms and conditions of his 89-day employment contract, and the fact that he previously served as an executive assistant from 2000 to 2008 performing duties and responsibilities which also included the tracking and monitoring of legislative bills,” Kamelamela said.
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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/
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