Dear Editor:
Thank you for taking the time to speak to me yesterday. As I told you, I was surprised to read your statement in the article — “Pay to Play System Exposed” — that “MK Engineers is currently under investigation by state Campaign Spending Commission for making excessive political contributions to Hawaii Democrat politicians. This company received BRT contracts up to $73,600, though the exact amount was not disclosed by the city.”
We have not been contacted by the Campaign Spending Commission nor any investigator, and to my knowledge we are not under investigation. I spoke with Mr. Watada on Aug. 18, 2003, about this matter, and he indicated that he didn’t even know whether we were under investigation.
Our firm has had a policy of not making political contributions for many years, and I can tell you that MK Engineers, Ltd. has not contributed to any political campaign organization for over 10 years. I am the majority shareholder of the company and I personally have not contributed to campaign organizations of candidates for the office of mayor, governor or any federal government office for over 6 years. Our firm has chosen to implement this policy to avoid even suggestions of wrong doing.
MK Engineers, Ltd., has served, and is serving as a sub-contractor to companies that were or are under contract for the BRT project; however, we do not have nor have we had direct contracts for engineering work with state and some of the county governments. None of the contracts we have received are a result of having made political contributions.
I appreciate this opportunity to explain our company policy to you, and will be grateful if you will set the record straight regarding MK Engineers, Ltd. and its policy of not making political contributions.
”’R.C. Katahara is president of MK Engineers, Ltd.”’