Court Opinion

ID: 9926933
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-25 22:03:33.795352+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:08.952063
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

                                                  Electronically Filed
                                                  Intermediate Court of Appeals
                                                  CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX
                                                  22-JAN-2024
                                                  08:04 AM
                                                  Dkt. 77 MO

                           NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

                 IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

                         OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

          ROWENA AKANA, Respondent-Appellant-Appellant,
                                v.
 HAWAI#I STATE ETHICS COMMISSION, Complainant-Appellee-Appellee,
                               and
               DANIEL M. GLUCK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

          APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                        (CASE NO. 1CC191000379)

                          MEMORANDUM OPINION
  (By:    Leonard, Acting Chief Judge, Hiraoka and Nakasone, JJ.)

          After a contested case hearing, the Hawai#i State
Ethics Commission determined that Rowena Akana violated the
Hawai#i code of ethics and imposed an administrative fine. Akana
appealed. The Circuit Court of the First Circuit affirmed.1
Akana filed this secondary appeal. We affirm.

                               I. BACKGROUND2

          Akana was an elected member of the Board of Trustees of
the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). She had served as an OHA

      1
            The Honorable James H. Ashford presided.
      2
            Some of the background comes from the Commission's findings of
fact which Akana has not challenged on appeal. See Poe v. Haw. Lab. Rels.
Bd., 97 Hawai#i 528, 536, 40 P.3d 930, 938 (2002) ("Unchallenged findings are
binding on appeal." (citation omitted)).
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trustee for 28 years, until 2018. OHA trustees receive a salary
plus an annual allowance — funded by OHA trust funds — intended
to improve the trustees' ability to communicate with and help OHA
beneficiaries.3 OHA's Executive Policy Manual required that
trustees "abide by the Standards of Conduct of the State of
Hawai#i, Chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes[.]" Trustees had to
attend the ethics training course conducted by the Commission (as
were legislators, members of the board of education, the
governor, the lieutenant governor, and executive department heads
and deputies). At least every other year, trustees were reminded
by OHA staff or the Commission about their HRS Chapter 84
obligations. OHA staff gave trustees gift disclosure forms and
reminded them of the rules about receiving and giving gifts.
           On April 19, 2018, the Commission charged Akana with
violating Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 84-11 (the Gifts Law),
HRS § 84-11.5 (the Gifts Reporting Law), and HRS § 84-13 (the
Fair Treatment Law).      These laws are part of the Code of Ethics,
Part II of HRS Chapter 84. Akana denied violating the law. She
alleged that the Commission "does not have jurisdiction over the
discretionary spending accounts of the OHA Trustees, since such
funds comprise 'trust funds' and do not constitute 'state
funds[.]'" She also alleged that the charges violated her rights
under the Hawai#i Constitution. The Commission entered the Order
Regarding Jurisdictional and Constitutional Issues Raised by
Respondent. It concluded it had jurisdiction over the charges
against Akana under article XIV of the Hawai#i Constitution and
HRS Chapter 84.
          A contested case hearing was held on October 22, 24,
25, and 26, 2018. On February 5, 2019, the Commission entered
its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Decision and Order.
It determined that Akana violated the Gifts Reporting Law, the
Gifts Law, and the Fair Treatment Law. It imposed an

      3
            From 1991 to 2013, the allowance was $7,200 per trustee.   In 2013
the allowance was increased to $22,200 per trustee.

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administrative fine of $23,106.53. It also filed a complaint and
referred the matter to the Attorney General.
          Akana appealed to the circuit court. She moved to stay
enforcement of the Decision and Order. The circuit court denied
the motion. She also moved to let additional evidence be
presented on appeal. The circuit court denied the motion.
          On September 24, 2019, the circuit court entered an
order affirming the Commission's Decision and Order, and a
judgment. Akana's notice of appeal to this court was filed on
October 1, 2019. On October 2, 2019, the Commission moved to
amend the judgment. The Amended Final Judgment was entered on
November 27, 2019.

                        II. POINTS OF ERROR

          Akana's opening brief states nine points of error,
which we have numbered as contemplated by Hawai#i Rules of
Appellate Procedure (HRAP) Rule 28(b)(4) and restated to reflect
the secondary nature of our review: (1) the Commission exceeded
its jurisdiction by prosecuting Akana for discretionary conduct
as an OHA trustee; (2) the Commission was not authorized to adopt
the administrative rule under which Akana was charged; (3) the
Commission deprived Akana of due process by issuing the Order
Regarding Jurisdictional and Constitutional Issues without
conducting an evidentiary hearing; (4) the Commission's selective
prosecution of Akana violated her constitutional right to equal
protection; (5) the fines imposed against Akana were excessive;
(6) the Commission made erroneous findings of fact and wrong
conclusions of law in applying the Fair Treatment Law to Akana's
spending from her trustee allowance; (7) the Commission made
erroneous findings and wrong conclusions in applying the Gifts
Law and Gifts Reporting Law to a third party's payment of Akana's
legal fees; (8) the circuit court abused its discretion by
denying Akana's motion to stay enforcement of the Commission's
Decision and Order; and (9) the circuit court erred by granting

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the Commission's motion to amend the judgment after Akana filed
her notice of appeal.

                      III. STANDARDS OF REVIEW

          A.    Administrative Agency Appeals

          Our review of the circuit court's decision on Akana's
appeal from the Commission's Decision and Order is a secondary
appeal; we determine whether the circuit court was right or
wrong, applying the standards in HRS § 91–14(g) to the
Commission's decision based on the agency record. Flores v. Bd.
of Land & Nat. Res., 143 Hawai#i 114, 120, 424 P.3d 469, 475
(2018) (citation omitted).
          HRS § 91–14(g) (Supp. 2018) provides:

          Upon review of the record, the court may affirm the
          decision of the agency or remand the case with
          instructions for further proceedings; or it may
          reverse or modify the decision and order if the
          substantial rights of the petitioners may have been
          prejudiced because the administrative findings,
          conclusions, decisions, or orders are:

                (1)   In violation of constitutional or
                      statutory provisions;
                (2)   In excess of the statutory authority or
                      jurisdiction of the agency;
                (3)   Made upon unlawful procedure;

                (4)   Affected by other error of law;

                (5)   Clearly erroneous in view of the reliable,
                      probative, and substantial evidence on the
                      whole record; or

                (6)   Arbitrary, or capricious, or characterized
                      by abuse of discretion or clearly
                      unwarranted exercise of discretion.

          We review an agency's findings of fact for clear error.
Del Monte Fresh Produce (Haw.), Inc. v. International Longshore
and Warehouse Union, Local 142, 128 Hawai#i 289, 302, 287 P.3d
190, 203 (2012). An agency's conclusions of law are usually
reviewed de novo. Id. But when we review an agency's
determination, we first examine whether the legislature granted

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the agency discretion to make the determination being reviewed.
If the legislature granted the agency discretion over a
particular matter, we review the agency's action under the
deferential abuse of discretion standard (remembering the
legislature determines the boundaries of that discretion).
Paul's Elec. Serv., Inc. v. Befitel, 104 Hawai#i 412, 419-20, 91
P.3d 494, 501-02 (2004).
          The legislature granted the Commission discretion to
administer and enforce HRS Chapter 84. See Boyd v. Haw. State
Ethics Comm'n, 138 Hawai#i 218, 225, 378 P.3d 934, 941 (2016)
(citing HRS Chapter 84, Preamble (1993));4 HRS § 84-1 (2012)
("This chapter shall be liberally construed to promote high
standards of ethical conduct in state government."). When we
review the Commission's decision, we "cannot consider the weight
of the evidence to ascertain whether it weighs in favor of the
administrative findings, or review the agency's findings of fact
by passing upon the credibility of witnesses or conflicts in
testimony, especially the finding of an expert agency in dealing
with a specialized field." Sierra Club v. D.R. Horton-Schuler
Homes, LLC, 136 Hawai#i 505, 522, 364 P.3d 213, 230 (2015)
(cleaned up).

          B.    Jurisdiction

          An administrative agency may determine its own
jurisdiction. See HOH Corp. v. Motor Vehicle Indus. Licensing
Bd., 69 Haw. 135, 141, 736 P.2d 1271, 1275 (1987). The existence
of jurisdiction is a question of law we review de novo under the

     4
          The Preamble states:
          The purpose of this chapter is to (1) prescribe a code of
          ethics for elected officers and public employees of the
          State as mandated by the people of the State of Hawaii in
          the Hawaii constitution, article XIV; (2) educate the
          citizenry with respect to ethics in government; and
          (3) establish an ethics commission which will administer the
          codes of ethics adopted by the constitutional convention and
          by the legislature and render advisory opinions and enforce
          the provisions of this law so that public confidence in
          public servants will be preserved.

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right/wrong standard.    In re Kanahele, 152 Hawai#i 501, 509, 526
P.3d 478, 486 (2023).

          C.    Statutory Interpretation

          Interpretation of a statute is a question of law
reviewed de novo. Barker v. Young, 153 Hawai#i 144, 148, 528
P.3d 217, 221 (2023). We start with the statute's language;
"implicit in the task of statutory construction is our foremost
obligation to ascertain and give effect to the intention of the
legislature, which is to be obtained primarily from the language
contained in the statute itself." Id. (citation omitted).

                            IV. DISCUSSION

          We discuss Akana's points of error in the order
presented in her opening brief.

          A.    The Commission could investigate and take
                appropriate action against Akana for
                violating HRS Chapter 84.

          Article XIV of the Hawai#i Constitution provides in
relevant part:

                The people of Hawaii believe that public officers and
          employees must exhibit the highest standards of ethical
          conduct and that these standards come from the personal
          integrity of each individual in government. To keep faith
          with this belief, the legislature, each political
          subdivision and the constitutional convention shall adopt a
          code of ethics which shall apply to appointed and elected
          officers and employees of the State or the political
          subdivision, respectively, including members of the boards,
          commissions and other bodies.
                Each code of ethics shall be administered by a
          separate ethics commission, except the code of ethics
          adopted by the constitutional convention which shall be
          administered by the state ethics commission.

          The code of ethics applicable to state officers and
employees, and members of state boards, commissions and other
bodies, is HRS Chapter 84. The Commission was established by HRS
§ 84-21 (2012). It may "initiate, receive, and consider charges

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concerning alleged violation of" HRS Chapter 84, and "initiate or
make investigation, and hold hearings[.]" HRS § 84-31(a)(3)
(2012). It has "jurisdiction for purposes of investigation and
taking appropriate action on alleged violations of" HRS
Chapter 84. HRS § 84-31(a)(6) (2012).
           OHA was established by article XII, section 5 of the
Hawai#i Constitution, see Arakaki v. Hawaii, 314 F.3d 1091, 1093
(9th Cir. 2002), and created by HRS § 10-4 (1979). It is
governed by a nine-member board of trustees, elected by qualified
voters in the state. Arakaki, 314 F.3d at 1093. Akana was an
elected member of OHA's board of trustees. She is subject to the
Code of Ethics, and the Commission had authority to investigate
her alleged violations of the Gifts Law, the Gifts Reporting Law,
and the Fair Treatment Law.
           Akana argues she isn't subject to the Code of Ethics
because it contradicts her obligations under HRS Chapter 10, the
statute governing OHA. She cites Boyd, 138 Hawai#i 218, 378 P.3d
934. There, the supreme court held that the Commission did not
have authority to adjudicate conflicts-of-interest proceedings
under HRS § 84-14 against Boyd, a state charter school employee.
Id. at 228, 378 P.3d at 944. The charter school statute in
effect at the time of the alleged violations, HRS Chapter 302B,5
exempted charter schools "from all other State laws in conflict
with Chapter 302B." Id. at 227, 378 P.3d at 943 (citing HRS
§ 302B–9(a) (Supp. 2006 & 2007) (repealed 2012)). The Commission
found Boyd in violation of HRS § 84-14 and fined him $10,000.
Id. at 228 n.24, 378 P.3d at 944 n.24. The supreme court noted
Boyd was fined "for the same conduct that was in compliance with
[the charter school]'s conflict of interest policy, which was
adopted in accordance with HRS §§ 302B–5(d)(6) or 302B–6(d)(6)."
Id. The court held:

     5
            HRS Chapter 302B was repealed in 2012 and replaced with HRS
Chapter 302D. Boyd, 138 Hawai#i at 219 n.1, 378 P.3d at 935 n.1. Under HRS
§ 302D–12(i) (Supp. 2012), "[a]ll charter school employees and members of
governing boards shall be subject to [HRS] chapter 84." Id. at 227 n.23, 378
P.3d at 943 n.23.

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          If both HRS § 84–14 and Chapter 302B applied to a charter
          school employee during the relevant time period, then that
          employee would have been subject to two separate conflict of
          interest standards. Thus, that same employee could have
          been subject to punishment under one set of standards, but
          not the other, for the same conduct.

Id. at 228, 378 P.3d at 944.
           Akana cites HRS §§ 10-4 ("Office of Hawaiian affairs;
established; general powers") and 10-4.5 ("Authority over
disbursements") as the statutes that "caused conflicting
standards to be applied" to her conduct. "Two statutes conflict
where it is not possible to give effect to both." Carmichael v.
Bd. of Land & Nat. Res., 150 Hawai#i 547, 567, 506 P.3d 211, 231
(2022) (citation omitted). Nothing in HRS §§ 10-4 (2009) or 10-
4.5 (2009) is contrary to, or inconsistent with, the Code of
Ethics. See Off. of Hawaiian Affs. v. Kondo, 153 Hawai#i 170,
178, 528 P.3d 243, 251 (2023) (noting that "[g]enerally, two laws
conflict when they 'are explicitly contrary to, or inconsistent
with, each other.'" (quoting Boyd, 138 Hawai#i at 227, 378 P.3d
at 943)). "[I]f laws can be interpreted harmoniously, there is
no conflict." Id. OHA's Executive Policy Manual requires that
"Trustees shall abide by the Standards of Conduct of the State of
Hawai#i, Chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as amended, and
shall attend ethics training as required by law." Akana's
argument lacks merit.
           Akana also contends that the Commission erred because
she "acted appropriately at all times in accordance with her
fiduciary duties and capacity as trustee." She cites Kealoha v.
Machado, 131 Hawai#i 62, 315 P.3d 213 (2013). The plaintiffs in
Machado sued several OHA trustees (including Akana) for breaching
their fiduciary duty by spending trust funds "without regard to
blood quantum on lobbying efforts[.]" Id. at 71, 315 P.3d
at 222. The supreme court noted that HRS Chapter 10 didn't
mandate how OHA trustees should spend trust funds to better the
conditions of native Hawaiians. Id. at 78, 315 P.3d at 229.
"[T]he trustees have broad discretion in making that

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determination."     Id. (citation omitted).       In that context, the
court held:

                When a trustee has discretion with respect to the
          exercise of a power, its exercise is subject to supervision
          by a court only to prevent abuse of discretion. Where
          discretionary power is given to the trustee, the court will
          not interfere unless the trustee in exercising or failing to
          exercise the power acts dishonestly, or with an improper
          even though not a dishonest motive, or fails to use his
          judgment, or acts beyond the bounds of a reasonable
          judgment.

Id. at 77, 315 P.3d at 228 (cleaned up) (emphasis added).
          Akana argues that a court can only review her conduct
for breach of fiduciary duty, and "cannot interfere with an OHA
trustee's exercise of discretionary power without first making a
finding of breach of fiduciary duty." She argues that the
circuit court improperly interfered by affirming the Decision and
Order because neither the Commission nor the circuit court found
that she abused her discretionary power. But neither the
Commission nor the circuit court were tasked with determining
whether Akana breached her fiduciary duty to OHA beneficiaries.
They reviewed whether Akana met her obligations under the Code of
Ethics, not whether she breached her fiduciary duty as an OHA
trustee. Nothing in Machado constrains the Commission from
investigating alleged violations of the Code of Ethics, or from
taking appropriate action on violations.
          Akana argues for reversal of the Commission's findings
that she violated the Fair Treatment Law because "each and every
expenditure [she] made . . . went through the approval process
created by OHA and was either authorized, or was disallowed and
then reimbursed by Ms. Akana in accordance with OHA policy."
That, she contends, resulted "in inconsistent and conflicting
standards being applied." But OHA does not pre-authorize trustee
spending. The Commission found, and Akana does not challenge:

          79.     Because Trustees are provided with Trustee Annual
                  Allowance funds in a lump sum at the beginning of the
                  fiscal year, the OHA fiscal staff's review of a
                  Trustee's quarterly report is an "after-the-fact"

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              review; by the time the fiscal staff receives a
              quarterly report from a Trustee, the expenditures
              listed in the report have already been made by the
              Trustee.
        . . . .

        82.   The quarterly and year-end reviews of Trustee Annual
              Allowance expenditures are a "tedious" and "time-
              consuming" process, inasmuch as OHA fiscal staff
              reviews each expenditure manually and it is not
              possible for staff to catch all disallowed
              expenditures, primarily because each Trustee is
              allowed to spend $22,200 annually, which includes many
              small expenditures.

        . . . .

        86.   The fact that a particular expense is "not disallowed"
              by OHA fiscal staff does not mean that the expenditure
              is "allowable" or consistent with OHA policy; it could
              simply mean that the expense was not "flagged" by the
              fiscal staff. As stated by former Controller Kim in
              his testimony, the failure to disallow a prohibited
              expense was a deficiency in the process of reviewing
              these expenditures; however, the fact that an
              expenditure was not disallowed does not necessarily
              mean that the expenditure was allowable pursuant to
              OHA policy.

        . . . .

        91.   The Commission finds, based upon credible evidence,
              that Respondent Akana threatened and berated OHA
              fiscal staff who questioned or disallowed her Trustee
              Annual Allowance expenditures. Current and former OHA
              staff members testified that they and their colleagues
              feared personal attacks or possible retaliation when
              questioning Respondent Akana about her expenditures.

        92.   OHA fiscal staff found that trying to get additional
              information and documentation from Respondent Akana
              about her expenditures was difficult and the staff was
              intimidated to ask Respondent Akana for information
              "because they don't want to get yelled at."
        . . . .

        96.   There were many incidents that affected how [former
              OHA Chief Financial Officer (CFO)] Ms. Iona approached
              Respondent Akana with respect to her Trustee Allowance
              expenditures:

                    [I]t really all boils down to there was an
                    effort by administration to enforce policies and
                    procedures the best that we could. There was
                    disagreement from trustee Rowena Akana in doing
                    so, and that, in itself would cause a lot of
                    personal attacks against members of the
                    administration, including myself. And that was
                    really the standard in really the almost six
                    years that I was the CFO.

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          97.   Because of Respondent Akana's threats to and
                intimidation of OHA fiscal staff, more than one OHA
                employee was reluctant to challenge Respondent Akana
                regarding her spending of Trustee Annual Allowance
                funds.
          98.   In January 2014, then-CFO Iona decided not to question
                Respondent Akana about the purchase of a $50 iTunes
                gift card (Count 7, discussed at FOFs # 99-104, below)
                — even though Ms. Iona believed the purchase should
                not have been allowed — expressly because Ms. Iona did
                not want to upset Respondent Akana.

(Citations to evidence omitted.) These unchallenged findings
bind Akana. See Poe, 97 Hawai#i at 536, 40 P.3d at 938. Akana's
argument that she could not have violated the Code of Ethics
because her spending was not disallowed by OHA lacks merit.

          B.    The Commission was authorized to adopt the
                administrative rule under which Akana was
                charged.

          The charges against Akana were brought under Hawaii
Administrative Rules (HAR) § 21-5-2 (eff. 1981). Akana contends
that HAR § 21-5-2 exceeds the statutory authority granted to the
Commission. The rule provided:

          (a)   Upon the receipt of anonymous information or other
          information not under oath, or information obtained at the
          initiative of the commission, the executive director or
          delegate shall verify such facts as may be verified through
          public documents or the assistance of department heads,
          legislators, or other appointed or elected officials or
          employees, including the respondent. Investigation may not
          extend to interviews of other persons unless the commission,
          in its discretion, initiates an investigation to determine
          whether a charge should be issued. This investigation will
          be carried out confidentially by the executive director or
          delegate. The nature and scope of the investigation shall
          be defined by a resolution supported by a vote of three or
          more members of the commission.
          (b)   If after preliminary investigation at least three
          commissioners decide that a charge should be initiated, the
          charge shall be issued in writing and signed by at least
          three commissioners.

          Akana argues that the Commission "may only investigate
a matter after the issuance of written charges." Her argument
lacks merit. HRS § 84-31(a)(3) empowers the Commission to
"initiate, receive, and consider charges concerning alleged
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violation of this chapter, initiate or make investigation, and
hold hearings[.]" (Emphasis added.) HAR § 21-5-2 follows the
Commission's statutory authority to "initiate or make
investigation" into violations of the Code of Ethics.

          C.   Akana was not deprived of due process.

           Akana contends that she "was denied due process in so
far as she was not given an evidentiary hearing to contest the
Commission's authority and jurisdiction to bring charges against
her in the first place." The record does not show that Akana
asked for an evidentiary hearing to determine the Commission's
jurisdiction, either before or after entry of the Order Regarding
Jurisdictional and Constitutional Issues. We decline to consider
this argument, made for the first time on appeal. See State v.
Moses, 102 Hawai#i 449, 456, 77 P.3d 940, 947 (2003) ("As a
general rule, if a party does not raise an argument at trial,
that argument will be deemed to have been waived on appeal; this
rule applies in both criminal and civil cases." (citations
omitted)).
           At any rate, the purpose of an evidentiary hearing is
to resolve factual disputes. Safeway, Inc. v. Nordic PCL
Constr., Inc., 130 Hawai#i 517, 531–32, 312 P.3d 1224, 1238–39
(App. 2013). There were no genuine factual issues material to
the Commission's authority and jurisdiction to determine whether
Akana violated the Code of Ethics. Akana did not dispute she was
an elected, salaried member of OHA's board of trustees. As an
OHA trustee, she is subject to the Code of Ethics as a matter of
law. The Commission could investigate her alleged violations of
the Gifts Law, the Gifts Reporting Law, and the Fair Treatment
Law, and take appropriate action. See HRS § 84-31(a)(3).

          D.   The Commission did not violate Akana's
               constitutional right to equal protection.

          Akana contends she was selectively prosecuted in
violation of her right to equal protection under article I,

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section 5 of the Hawai#i Constitution. She must "present
sufficient evidence to establish the existence of intentional or
purposeful discrimination . . . that is deliberately based upon
an unjustifiable standard such as race, religion or other
arbitrary classification." State v. Kailua Auto Wreckers, Inc.,
62 Haw. 222, 226-27, 615 P.2d 730, 734–35 (1980) (cleaned up).
Akana's briefs don't cite to any evidence presented to the
Commission that supports her selective prosecution defense.
          Akana argues that she tried to present this evidence to
the circuit court, but the court denied her motion to present new
evidence. Her motion cited HRS § 91-14(e) (2012), which lets the
circuit court order that new evidence be presented to the agency,
which may then change its findings, decision, and order. Akana's
motion sought to present new evidence "to this [Circuit] Court on
appeal." This procedure is not allowed by HRS § 91-14(e). See
also HRS § 91-14(f) (Supp. 2018) ("The review shall be . . .
confined to the record[.]"). The circuit court did not err by
denying Akana's motion.
          In this secondary appeal, Akana argues that the new
evidence she sought to present (to the circuit court) would have
shown that the Commission "had no rational basis to proceed
solely against Ms. Akana for the exact same types of transactions
made by other OHA trustees during the same time period, and
therefore the Commission's prosecution was unlawful and violated
Ms. Akana's equal protection rights." "It is insufficient to
show merely that other offenders have not been prosecuted[.]"
Kailua Auto Wreckers, 62 Haw. at 227, 615 P.2d at 735 (citation
omitted). Akana makes a conclusory argument that "a group of OHA
trustees and members of the OHA Board who were politically
opposed to" her persuaded the Commission to "bring a retaliatory
action against" her. She presented no such evidence to the
Commission. Akana's contention of selective prosecution lacks
merit.

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          E.    The fines imposed were not unconstitutionally
                excessive.

          The Commission fined Akana $23,106.52 for 47 violations
of the Code of Ethics. Akana argues that "a $1,000.00 fine, or
any fine at all beyond a nominal one, is excessive" because her
spending violations "were either approved by OHA itself or else
promptly reimbursed to OHA in accordance with internal OHA
protocols." We've already dismissed Akana's argument that she
could not have violated the Code of Ethics because her spending
was "authorized" or "not disallowed" by OHA.
          The Commission found and concluded:

          IV.   ADMINISTRATIVE FINE

          . . . .

          5.    The Commission concludes that Respondent Akana's
                failure to report gifts totaling more than $50,000
                from Ms. [Abigail] Kawananakoa constituted violations
                of the State Ethics Code, and that each violation
                warrants the maximum administrative fine of $500
                applicable at the time the offenses occurred.
          6.    The Commission concludes that Respondent Akana's
                receipt of gifts totaling more than $21,000 from
                Ms. Kawananakoa on or about April 28, 2017 and
                June 17, 2017 constituted violations of the State
                Ethics Code, and that each violation warrants the
                maximum administrative fine of $500 applicable at the
                time the offense occurred.

          7.    The Commission concludes that Respondent Akana's
                expenditure of her Trustee Annual Allowance for her
                Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club membership, political
                contributions — including the political action
                committee event — and home cable television service
                constituted violations of the State Ethics Code, and
                that each violation warrants the maximum
                administrative fine applicable at the time the offense
                occurred.

          8.    Regarding Respondent Akana's expenditures on food: the
                Commission concludes that it is proper for Respondent
                Akana to pay an administrative fine equivalent to the
                amount of each expenditure, essentially requiring
                Respondent Akana to use personal funds to pay for
                these expenditures. The Commission has taken this
                approach in similar cases. Regarding Respondent
                Akana's expenditure for food for OHA Trustees' holiday
                party (Count 48) — an expenditure that was disallowed
                by OHA, such that Respondent Akana eventually used
                personal funds to pay for the expenditure — no
                administrative fine will be imposed.

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        9.    Upon consideration of the evidence and the arguments
              of counsel, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission hereby
              determines and concludes that the following
              administrative fines for each of the violations of HRS
              chapter 84 that occurred are appropriate and shall be
              assessed:

              a.    Counts 1-4 (Failure to Report Gifts): $500 each
                    ($2,000 total)

              b.    Counts 5-6 (Improper Acceptance of Gifts): $500
                    each ($1,000 total)
              c.    Counts [sic] 8 (Expenditures [sic] - Premier
                    Club): $500

              d.    Counts 10, 12-28 (Expenditures - Cable
                    Television): $500 each ($9,000 total)
              e.    Counts 29-36 (Expenditures - Cable Television):
                    $1,000 each ($8,000 total)
              f.    Count 38 (Expenditure - Food): $17.80

              g.    Count 39 (Expenditure - Food): $268.59

              h.    Count 40 (Expenditure - Food): $31.94
              i.    Count 41 (Expenditure - Food): $61.83

              j.    Count 42 (Expenditure - Food): $66.49

              k.    Count 43 (Expenditure - Food): $39.48

              l.    Count 44 (Expenditure - Food): $31.01

              m.    Count 45 (Expenditure - Food): $20.73
              n.    Count 46 (Expenditure - Food): $43.66

              o.    Count 47 (Expenditure - Food): $25.00

              p.    Count 48 (Expenditure - Food): $0.00
                    This expenditure was disallowed by OHA.

              q.    Counts 49-50 (Expenditures - Political
                    Contributions): $500 each ($1,000 total)

              r.    Count 51 (Expenditure - Contribution PAC Event):
                    $1,000
        10.   Contrary to Respondent Akana's assertion that any
              administrative penalties assessed against her would be
              excessive, the Commission finds that the maximum
              administrative penalties imposed above are appropriate
              in light of the breadth and egregious nature of
              Respondent Akana's conduct. The evidence established
              that Respondent Akana committed dozens of violations
              of the State Ethics Code by accepting illegal gifts
              valued at over $21,000; failing to timely report gifts
              valued at over $50,000; and using Trustee Annual

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                 Allowance funds for her own personal benefit or for
                 political contributions.
          11.    The administrative penalties imposed above are
                 appropriate given the especially troubling actions of
                 the Respondent with respect to the use of her Trustee
                 Annual Allowance. Because OHA staff who administered
                 the Trustee Annual Allowance were fearful of personal
                 attacks and threats for questioning Respondent's
                 expenditures, it cannot be said that any expenditure
                 that was "not disallowed" complied with OHA's own
                 policies. Indeed, Respondent Akana seemingly
                 displayed a "pattern of consistently trying to get
                 away with spending that a prudent person would not
                 otherwise be able to push that boundary."

(Citations omitted.)
          Akana argues that her "belated reporting of 'gifts' of
legal fees" was "purely a technical violation." The Commission
addressed that issue:

          III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

          . . . .

          76.    The Commission disagrees that Respondent Akana's
                 failure to report four gifts (amounting to over
                 $50,000) from Ms. Kawananakoa is a "technical"
                 violation warranting only a "nominal penalty per
                 instance" or that "any fine at all[] is excessive when
                 considering the nature of the alleged violations[.]"
          77.    Respondent Akana's failure to report the gifts that
                 she received from Ms. Kawananakoa are not mere
                 "technical" violations. Gifts [sic] disclosures serve
                 the vital purposes of government transparency and
                 accountability. They provide the Commission and the
                 public with information needed to hold government
                 employees to the highest ethical standards. As
                 reflected in the legislative history of HRS § 84-11.5,
                 gifts [sic] disclosures may be a slight inconvenience
                 for filers, but they are necessary to promote public
                 confidence in government and in public officials.
          78.    Had Respondent timely filed her gifts disclosure
                 statements by the June 30, 2016 deadline, the
                 Commission and the public would have had this
                 information a year earlier. Calling this a
                 "technical" violation entirely misses the point of the
                 Gifts Reporting law.

          . . . .
          81.    The Commission concludes that the maximum fine of $500
                 per violation (Counts 1-4) applicable at the time of
                 Respondent Akana's misconduct is consistent with
                 applicable law and appropriate.

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(Citations omitted.)
          The Commission's fine of $500 for each violation was
authorized by HRS § 84-39 (2012).6 Akana has not challenged the
constitutionality of that statute. The Commission's
characterization of Akana's conduct was supported by substantial
evidence and was not clearly erroneous. Given the record here,
we cannot say the Commission abused its discretion by imposing
the maximum administrative fines allowed under HRS § 84-39
(2012).

           F.    The Commission's findings and conclusions
                 about Akana's spending were supported by
                 substantial evidence and were neither clearly
                 erroneous nor wrong.

          OHA trustees receive their allowance as a lump sum at
the beginning of each fiscal year. OHA's Board of Trustees sets
policies for the trustees' use of their allowance. OHA's
Executive Policy Manual states that the allowance is "not
intended to be used for personal gain by a Trustee[.]"
(Underscoring omitted.) OHA's Trustee Scholarship and Annual
Allowance Fund (TSAAF) Handbook states that political
contributions are not allowed. Trustees must submit quarterly
spending reports; OHA's controller reconciles the reports and
works with the trustees to clear any discrepancies. At the end
of the fiscal year, any unspent allowance must be returned to
OHA. If OHA disallows a trustee's spending, the amount is added
to what that trustee must repay to OHA at the end of the fiscal
year. The quarterly and fiscal-year-end reviews are tedious and
time-consuming because OHA staff manually review each
expenditure, many of which are small in amount, and it is
impossible to catch all improper spending. Thus, a particular
expense not being disallowed does not mean it was a proper use of
the trustee's allowance.

     6
            HRS § 84-39 was amended in 2017 to increase the maximum
administrative fine to $1,000 per violation. 2017 Haw. Sess. Laws Act 50, § 1
at 305.

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          The Fair Treatment Law provided, in relevant part:

          No . . . employee shall use or attempt to use the . . .
          employee's official position to secure or grant unwarranted
          privileges, exemptions, advantages, contracts, or treatment,
          for [the employee] or others[.]

HRS § 84-13 (2012) (emphasis added).
          Akana argues that the Commission applied the wrong
standard to determine what constituted "unwarranted" privileges.
She contends she may use her trustee allowance in ways she felt
would help OHA or its beneficiaries. She conflates her fiduciary
duty as an OHA trustee with her obligations under the Code of
Ethics. She again cites Kealoha v. Machado, 131 Hawai#i 62, 315
P.3d 213 (2013). As we previously stated, Machado does not
constrain the Commission from investigating alleged violations of
the Code of Ethics by OHA trustees, or from taking appropriate
action on violations.
          1.   Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club Membership. Akana
challenges the Commission's decision on Count 8, which charged:

                53.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds to purchase a Premier Club membership with
          Hawaiian Airlines costing $249.00, used or attempted to use
          her official position to secure an unwarranted personal
          benefit for herself, in violation of HRS § 84-13 (COUNT 8).

          Akana argues she believed her purchase "was in the best
interests of the OHA beneficiaries" because it "would save money
for the trust over time[.]" She also argues that she paid the
$249 back after OHA disallowed the expense. She does not
challenge these findings and conclusions:

          II.    FINDINGS OF FACT

          . . . .
          105.   On or about July 15, 2014, Respondent Akana used $249
                 of Trustee Annual Allowance funds to purchase a
                 Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club membership (hereinafter
                 "Premier Club membership").

          106.   Benefits of the Premier Club membership included
                 access to Hawaiian Airlines' airport Premier Clubs,

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                 priority check-in and boarding, complimentary
                 "Unlimited TV & More Pack" on certain flights to and
                 from the mainland, and two free checked bags.

          107.   OHA had allowed Trustees to purchase Premier Club
                 memberships in the past, but a former [Board of
                 Trustees (BOT)] Chair stopped the practice before
                 Respondent Akana purchased her Premier Club membership
                 in 2014.
          . . . .
          110.   Respondent Akana claimed that she saved OHA money by
                 paying for her Premier Club membership.

          111.   At the hearing, Respondent's attorney argued that
                 Respondent Akana saved money by paying for her Premier
                 Club membership rather than paying baggage fees for
                 three or four bags each way.

          112.   OHA's corporate account with Hawaiian Airlines
                 permitted each OHA traveler — including OHA Trustees —
                 to take one free checked bag.

          113.   The Premier Club membership permitted two free checked
                 bags - only one more free bag than already allowed by
                 OHA's corporate account with Hawaiian Airlines.

          . . . .

          115.   Notwithstanding her knowledge that OHA's policy
                 regarding Premiere [sic] Club membership had changed,
                 Respondent Akana never consulted with the OHA fiscal
                 office about her purchase of a Premier Club membership
                 for herself.

          . . . .
          III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

          . . . .

          102.   Respondent Akana purchased the Premier Club membership
                 knowing that it was disallowed. She informed the
                 Commission that she was aware that the practice of
                 Trustees being allowed to purchase this membership had
                 previously ended under a prior BOT Chairperson. Even
                 though this expenditure was disallowed by OHA, such
                 that Respondent Akana eventually used personal funds
                 to reimburse OHA for this purchase, she expended
                 Trustee Annual Allowance funds on this purchase and
                 submitted a quarterly report to OHA in which she
                 sought to have this purchase offset against her
                 Trustee Annual Allowance balance.

(Citations to evidence omitted.)

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          Akana challenges these findings and conclusions:

          II.    FINDINGS OF FACT

          . . . .
          116.   The Commission finds that Respondent Akana used or
                 attempted to use her Trustee Annual Allowance for her
                 personal benefit by purchasing a Premier Club
                 membership for herself.

          . . . .
          III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

          . . . .
          101.   Although Respondent Akana maintains that she purchased
                 the Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club membership to save
                 money on baggage fees, Respondent Akana was already
                 entitled to one free bag when she traveled on Hawaiian
                 Airlines through OHA's corporate account. The Premier
                 Club membership allowed Respondent Akana to enjoy the
                 other personal benefits of membership — such as access
                 to the airline's club lounge and complimentary
                 "Unlimited TV & More Pack" on certain flights —
                 conferring an unwarranted benefit upon her.

These findings and conclusions are supported by substantial
evidence in the record and by the Commission's unchallenged
findings, and reflect an application of the correct rule of law.
The Commission did not abuse its discretion on this issue.
          2.   Cable Television Bills. Akana challenges the
Commission's decisions on Counts 10 and 12-36, which charged:

                56.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds to pay the total amount of Oceanic's monthly
          bill for the Surf Pak Xtra package on or about each of the
          dates listed below, where the approximate monthly cost of
          the type of internet service she used was under $50.00, used
          or attempted to use her official position to secure
          unwarranted personal benefits for herself — that is, home
          cable television service — in violation of HRS § 84-13:
                       a.   November 20, 2015 ($127.90) (COUNT 10);

                       . . . .
                       c.   January 22, 2016 ($127.90) (COUNT 12);
                       d. February 15, 2016 ($135.78) (COUNT 13);

                       e. March 5, 2016 ($132.43) (COUNT 14);
                       f. April 10, 2016 ($134.37) (COUNT 15);

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                    g. May 9, 2016 ($133.55) (COUNT 16);
                    h. June 6, 2016 ($133.55) (COUNT 17);

                    i. June 30, 2016 ($133.55) (COUNT 18);
                    j. August 8, 2016 ($133.55) (COUNT 19);
                    k. September 5, 2016 ($133.55) (COUNT 20);

                    l. October 22, 2016, ($136.83) (COUNT 21); and
                    m. November 24, 2016 ($136.83) (COUNT 22).
              . . . .

              59.    Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
        Allowance funds of $80.00 or $82.00 on or about each of the
        dates listed below to pay a portion of Oceanic's or
        Spectrum's total monthly bill for the Surf Pak Xtra package,
        purportedly, for home internet service, when the approximate
        monthly cost of the type of internet service she used was
        under $50.00, used Trustee Annual Allowance funds to partly
        pay for home cable television service. Respondent AKANA's
        actions constituted the use or attempted use of her official
        position to secure unwarranted personal benefits for herself
        — that is, home cable television service — in violation of
        HRS § 84-13:

                    a. December 21, 2016 (used $80.00 to pay
                    Oceanic) (COUNT 23);

                    b. January 20, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Oceanic)
                    (COUNT 24);

                    c. February 13, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay
                    Oceanic) (COUNT 25);
                    d. March 15, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Oceanic)
                    (COUNT 26);
                    e. April 20, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Oceanic)
                    (COUNT 27);
                    f. May 20, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Oceanic)
                    (COUNT 28);
                    g. June 25, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Oceanic)
                    (COUNT 29);

                    h. July 21, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Spectrum)
                    (COUNT 30);
                    i. August 24, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay Spectrum)
                    (COUNT 31);
                    j. September 10, 2017 (used $82.00 to pay
                    Spectrum) (COUNT 32);

                    k. October 10, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay
                    Spectrum) (COUNT 33);

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                       l. November 20, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay
                       Spectrum) (COUNT 34);
                       m. December 13, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay
                       Spectrum) (COUNT 35); and
                       n. December 30, 2017 (used $80.00 to pay
                       Spectrum) (COUNT 36).

          Akana argues she "made proper discretionary decisions
to spend monies on OHA-related communications and to gain a
broader understanding of Hawaiian issues for in [sic] her role as
an OHA Trustee via watching CNN, Olelo and other news programs."
          Akana does not challenge these findings:

          117.   In 2015 to 2017, Respondent Akana subscribed to a home
                 cable television and internet bundled service package
                 called "Surf Pak Xtra," offered by Oceanic Time Warner
                 Cable ("Oceanic"), a company that was rebranded as
                 "Spectrum" in or around 2017.
          118.   The Surf Pak Xtra package consisted of standard
                 television service as well as access to additional
                 channels, and "Extreme Internet" service.

          119.   In 2015 and 2016, Respondent Akana used Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds to pay the entire amount of her
                 monthly bills from Oceanic for the Surf Pak Xtra
                 package.
          . . . .

          124.   Respondent Akana used her Trustee Annual Allowance to
                 pay the entire amount of her monthly Oceanic cable
                 bill on or about the following dates, without
                 reimbursing OHA or the Trustee Annual Allowance fund
                 for the portion related to her home cable television
                 service:
                 a.    November 20, 2015 ($127.90) (Count 10).

                 b.    January 22, 2016 ($127.90) (Count 12).
                 c.    February 15, 2016 ($135.78) (Count 13).
                 d.    March 5, 2016 ($132.43) (Count 14).

                 e.    April 10, 2016 ($134.37) (Count 15).

                 f.    May 9, 2016 ($133.55) (Count 16).
                 g.    June 6, 2016 ($133.55) (Count 17).
                 h.    June 30, 2016 ($133.55) (Count 18).

          . . . .

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        130.   On August 8, 2016, Respondent Akana used Trustee
               Annual Allowance funds to pay for her entire Oceanic
               cable bill ($133.55) (Count 19).

        131.   On September 5, 2016, Respondent Akana used Trustee
               Annual Allowance funds to pay for her entire Oceanic
               cable bill ($133.55) (Count 20).
        132.   Respondent Akana submitted her quarterly report for
               July 1, 2016 - September 30, 2016 on October 7, 2016;
               Respondent Akana's quarterly report included the
               August 8, 2016 and September 5, 2016 payments to
               Oceanic.
        . . . .

        134.   [OHA] CEO [Kamana#opono] Crabbe's [October 17, 2016]
               memorandum explained: "Standard TV, Digital Variety
               Pak, 2-Way Addressable Box is not considered
               communications to constituents. Only internet is
               allowed under the TSAAF. Based on inquiry with
               Oceanic customer service the breakdown of internet
               charge is $47.89 (Internet $42.07 + Olelo Capital
               Funding $0.26 + Cable franchise fee $3.58 + State GET
               $1.98)."

        135.   OHA fiscal staff determined that OHA policy only
               allowed Respondent Akana to use her Trustee Annual
               Allowance to pay $47.89 for her monthly home internet
               service from Oceanic.

        136.   The portion of the Oceanic bill not attributable to
               Respondent Akana's home internet service was
               disallowed by OHA fiscal staff because those Oceanic
               services were for the personal benefit of Respondent
               Akana.
        . . . .

        148.   On or about October 22, 2016 and November 24, 2016,
               Respondent Akana made payments of $136.83 — the full
               amount of her monthly bill for the Surf Pak Xtra
               package, including her home cable television service —
               to Oceanic (Counts 21 and 22).

        149.   The checks for these expenditures were drawn from the
               same bank account as Respondent's previous
               expenditures to pay for her Oceanic cable bills.

        150.   On the memo line of the check pertaining to the
               November 24, 2016 expenditure is a handwritten note
               that says "allowable."
        151.   Despite receiving notification from CEO Crabbe on
               October 17, 2016 and November 21, 2016 that
               expenditures on cable television service would be
               disallowed and that internet service could be claimed
               at only $47.89, Respondent Akana claimed $80.00 of
               Trustee Annual Allowance funds when she submitted her
               quarterly report for the October 2016 and November
               2016 expenditures.

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        152.   Respondent Akana was charged with using her Trustee
               Annual Allowance to pay the entire amount ($136.83) of
               her Oceanic cable bills on October 22, 2016 (Count 21)
               and November 24, 2016. (Count 22). Respondent Akana
               appears to have initially paid for the entire amount
               of both bills with funds from a checking account used
               by Respondent for her previous Trustee Annual
               Allowance expenditures. However, at a later date,
               Respondent Akana claimed $80 of Trustee Annual
               Allowance funds for each of those payments.

        153.   Although Respondent used her Trustee Annual Allowance
               to pay $80 and not $136.83 to Oceanic on October 22,
               2016 (Count 21) and November 24, 2016 (Count 22), this
               amount was still more than Respondent was allowed to
               claim for her home internet service.

        154.   On or about December 21, 2016, Respondent Akana again
               used Trustee Annual Allowance funds to pay $80.00 to
               Oceanic (Count 23).

        . . . .

        160.   In documentation attached with the December 21, 2016
               Oceanic expenditure (Count 23), there appears to be a
               printout of a screen shot of the Oceanic website
               listing three options for internet service: "Extreme"
               Internet - 100/10 Mbps - for $29.95 a month, "Ultimate
               200" Internet - 200/20 Mbps - for $39.99 a month; and
               "Ultimate 300" Internet - 300/20 Mbps - for $59.99 a
               month.

        161.   Just below this screen shot appears a handwritten
               note:

                     4/5/17       $59.99 monthly rate
                                 +$10.00 modem lease
                                 +$10.00 estimated taxes
                                 $79.99

        162.   This handwritten note provides the only possible basis
               on which Respondent Akana may have determined that she
               could use $80 a month of Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds (rather than $47.89 a month) for her home
               internet service. However, as set forth above,
               Complainant introduced competent and substantial
               evidence that the cost of home internet service was
               less than $50 a month, and Respondent Akana did not
               present any evidence to contradict Complainant's
               evidence.
        163.   Moreover, this screenshot and handwritten note below
               the screenshot do not support Respondent Akana's
               claims for $80.00 a month for home internet service.
               As part of the Surf Pak Xtra package, Respondent Akana
               received "Extreme Internet" — the lowest level of
               internet service, offered at $29.95 a month. Thus, if
               Respondent Akana was, in fact, using $59.99 a month as
               a baseline for her home internet service, it would
               mean she was using an artificially high baseline — the
               most expensive internet service ("Ultimate 300" at
               $59.99 a month), rather than the less expensive

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                 service she was actually receiving ("Extreme" at
                 $29.95 a month).
          . . . .
          166.   Between January 2017 and December 2017, Respondent
                 Akana continued to use Trustee Annual Allowance funds
                 to pay approximately $80 — for her home internet
                 service and to subsidize her home cable television
                 service, without reimbursing OHA or the Trustee Annual
                 Allowance fund for such expenditures:
                 a.    January 20, 2017 ($80) (Count 24).
                 b.    February 13, 2017 ($80) (Count 25).

                 c.    March 15, 2017 ($80) (Count 26).

                 d.    April 20, 20017 [sic] ($80) (Count 27).
                 e.    May 20, 2017 ($80) (Count 28).
                 f.    June 25, 2017 ($80) (Count 29).

                 g.    July 21, 2017 ($80) (Count 30).

                 h.    August 24, 2017 ($80) (Count 31).
                 i.    September 10, 2017 ($82) (Count 32).

                 j.    October 10, 2017 ($80) (Count 33).

                 k.    November 20, 2017 ($80) (Count 34).

                 1.    December 13, 2017 ($80) (Count 35).

                 m.    December 30, 2017 ($80) (Count 36).

(Footnotes and citations to evidence omitted.)
          Akana challenges these findings and conclusions:

          II.    FINDINGS OF FACT

          . . . .
          120.   OHA policy (stated in the 2013 Amendment to the
                 Executive Policy Manual) allowed Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds to be used for expenses for
                 communications with constituents. Thus, internet
                 service was an allowed expense. However, the policy
                 did not provide for home cable television service as
                 an allowable expense.
          121.   The Commission finds that Respondent Akana's testimony
                 that she very rarely watched television or mostly
                 watched Olelo or the news is not a sufficient
                 justification to use her Trustee Annual Allowance to
                 pay for her home cable television service. Instead,
                 the Commission finds that Respondent Akana's home
                 cable television service was a personal benefit to
                 Respondent.

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        122.   Respondent Akana's use of Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds to pay the entire amount of her monthly Oceanic
               bill was not allowable under OHA policy because the
               Oceanic bill included charges for home cable
               television service, which was a personal benefit to
               her.

        . . . .
        125.   For each of the transactions listed above (relating to
               Count 10 and Counts 12-18), the Commission finds that
               Respondent Akana used her Trustee Annual Allowance for
               her personal benefit by paying for her home cable
               television service.
        . . . .

        147.   For the August 8, 2016 and September 5, 2016
               transactions (relating to Counts 19 and 20), the
               Commission finds that Respondent Akana used or
               attempted to use her Trustee Annual Allowance for her
               personal benefit by paying for her home cable
               television service.

        . . . .

        164.   As such, in each of the months in which Respondent
               used more than $47.89 of Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds to pay her Oceanic bill, the Commission finds
               that Respondent was using Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds to subsidize her purchase of home cable
               television service — despite previously being informed
               by OHA staff that she was allowed to claim only $47.89
               for internet service. Thus, she received an
               unwarranted benefit of approximately $32.11 per month
               ($80.00 - $47.89).

        165.   By using $80.00 a month of Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds to pay her Oceanic bill, Respondent Akana also
               failed to comply with the directive from CEO Crabbe
               that Trustee Annual Allowance funds not be used for
               home cable television service.

        . . . .

        167.   For each of the transactions listed above (relating to
               Counts 21-36), the Commission finds that Respondent
               Akana used her Trustee Annual Allowance for her own
               personal benefit by subsidizing her payments for her
               home cable television service.
        . . . .
        III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

        . . . .
        106.   Respondent Akana used or attempted to use her official
               position to secure unwarranted personal benefits for
               herself — that is, home cable television service — in
               violation of HRS § 84-13 by paying for or attempting
               to pay for all or some of the monthly charges for

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               Respondent's home cable television service with
               Trustee Annual Allowance funds on or about each of the
               dates listed below:

               a.    November 20, 2015 (Count 10);
               b.    January 22, 2016 (Count 12);
               c.    February 15, 2016 (Count 13);

               d.    March 5, 2016 (Count 14);
               e.    April 10, 2016 (Count 15);
               f.    May 9, 2016 (Count 16);

               g.    June 6, 2016 (Count 17);

               h.    June 30, 2016 (Count 18);
               i.    August 8, 2016 (Count 19);
               j.    September 5, 2016 (Count 20);

               k.    October 22, 2016 (Count 21);

               1.    November 24, 2016 (Count 22);
               m.    December 21, 2016 (Count 23);

               n.    January 20, 2017 (Count 24);

               o.    February 13, 2017 (Count 25);

               p.    March 15, 2017 (Count 26);

               q.    April 20, 2017 (Count 27);
               r.    May 20, 2017 (Count 28);

               s.    June 25, 2017 (Count 29);

               t.    July 21, 2017 (Count 30);
               u.    August 24, 2017 (Count 31);
               v.    September 10, 2017 (Count 32);

               w.    October 10, 2017 (Count 33);

               x.    November 20, 2017 (Count 34);
               y.    December 13, 2017 (Count 35); and
               z.    December 30, 2017 (Count 36).
        107.   Even though the August 8, 2016 (Count 19) and
               September 5, 2016 (Count 20) expenditures were
               disallowed in part by OHA, such that Respondent Akana
               eventually used personal funds to pay for a portion of
               these purchases, Respondent submitted a quarterly
               report to OHA in which she sought to have these

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                 purchases offset against her Trustee Annual Allowance
                 balance. Her attempts to use Trustee Annual Allowance
                 funds to confer a personal benefit upon herself are
                 violations of the Fair Treatment Law.
          108.   Each expenditure made by Respondent Akana out of the
                 Trustee Annual Allowance for home television service
                 constitutes a separate violation of HRS § 84-13.
          109.   There is no evidence to suggest that Respondent Akana
                 reimbursed OHA or the Trustee Annual Allowance fund
                 for any of these purchases of home cable television
                 service, other than her eventual use of personal funds
                 to pay for a portion of the August 2016 and September
                 2016 purchases. However, even if Respondent Akana had
                 reimbursed OHA or the Trustee Annual Allowance fund,
                 each attempt by Respondent Akana to use her official
                 position to make the above-referenced purchases of
                 home cable television service using Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds constitutes a violation of HRS
                 § 84-13.
          110.   The Commission concludes that the violations in Counts
                 21-36 are especially troubling. Respondent Akana
                 continued to claim $80 for reimbursement for internet
                 service even after being informed by OHA staff that
                 she was only allowed to claim $47.89. In other words,
                 Respondent Akana dishonestly continued to claim $80
                 for internet service knowing that she was not entitled
                 to reimbursement from her Trustee Allowance for this
                 amount.

(Citations to evidence omitted.)
          The Commission's findings and mixed findings and
conclusions are supported by substantial evidence in the record,
including testimony by OHA's controller Gloria Li, OHA's former
chief financial officer Hawley Iona, and OHA's former controller
John Kim, all of whom the Commission found to be credible. They
are also supported by the Commission's unchallenged findings.
They were not clearly erroneous, and reflect an application of
the correct rule of law. They will not be overturned. See Est.
of Klink ex rel. Klink v. State, 113 Hawai#i 332, 351, 152 P.3d
504, 523 (2007). The Commission did not abuse its discretion in
deciding that Akana using her trustee allowance to pay for her
home cable television service was an unwarranted privilege.
          3.   Food Purchases. Akana challenges the Commission's
decisions on Counts 38 through 48, which charged:

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                62.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds on or about each of the following dates, for
          the purposes and in the amounts stated below, to pay for
          food or meals for her [sic] herself and/or OHA Trustees
          and/or OHA staff, used or attempted to use her official
          position to secure unwarranted personal benefits for OHA
          personnel, including herself, in violation of HRS § 84-13:
                      . . . .

                      b.    March 17, 2014, refreshments for staff,
                            from Leonard's Bakery, $17.80 (COUNT 38);
                      c.    July 3, 2014, food for a "going away
                            party" for a staff member, from 1132 Cafe
                            & Catering, $268.59 (COUNT 39);

                      d.    August 4, 2014, breakfast for staff, from
                            Liliha Bakery, $31.94 (COUNT 40);
                      e.    February 10, 2015, food for a staff
                            "birthday celebration," from Zippy's
                            Nimitz, $61.83 (COUNT 41);

                      f.    January 23, 2015, manapua for staff, from
                            Royal Kitchen, $66.49 (COUNT 42);

                      g.    July 9, 2015, food for a staff meeting,
                            from Liliha Bakery, $39.48 (COUNT 43);

                      h.    December 2, 2015, food for staff from
                            Chinatown Express Ala Moana, $31.01 (COUNT
                            44);

                      i.    August 15, 2016, refreshments for staff
                            from Leonard's Bakery, $20.73 (COUNT 45);

                      j.    October 5, 2016, lunch for staff from
                            Tanaka Saimin, $43.66 (COUNT 46);

                      k.    February 17, 2017, the cost of food that
                            had been purchased for a party for a staff
                            member's "last day," $25.00 (COUNT 47);
                            and

                      l.    December 5, 2017, noodles from Royal
                            Kitchen for a "pot luck" OHA Trustees'
                            holiday party, $23.72 (COUNT 48).

                Each expenditure made by Respondent AKANA out of
          Trustee Annual Allowance funds to pay for food [for]
          herself, other OHA Trustees, and/or OHA staff constituted a
          separate violation of HRS § 84-13.

          Akana argues that she may use her trustee allowance to
buy food for staff meetings and for functions where OHA work was
done or where OHA beneficiaries attended. She challenges these
findings:

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          174.   OHA fiscal staff's understanding of the policy was
                 that Trustees could spend Trustee Allowance funds on
                 food for meetings with outside beneficiaries, but not
                 for internal meetings with staff. As former
                 Controller Kim explained, "we looked for some kind of
                 link that established [that trustees were] working
                 with either beneficiaries or constituents or some kind
                 of other partners that we would typically work with."
          175.   Trustee food expenditures for staff meetings could be
                 permissible under the policy if there was a "clear
                 business purpose" for the meeting, such as bringing in
                 lunch to a remote location during a staff retreat, and
                 if the expenditure amount was reasonable.
          176.   However, a Trustee's notation that Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds were used for a "staff lunch" would
                 not be sufficient to justify a food expenditure
                 because such a notation would not indicate a clear
                 business need for the expenditure.

          177.   Expenditures for purely internal functions, including
                 a staff birthday party or a going-away party for a
                 staff member, would typically be disallowed under OHA
                 policy.

(Brackets in original) (citations to evidence omitted). OHA's
Trustee Allowance Meal Form cites to the Board of Trustees
Executive Policy Section 3.5.n, which lets trustees use their
allowance to cover "associated costs to attend conferences,
seminars or meetings[.]" OHA's Trustee Sponsorship and Allowance
Fund Internal Guidelines and Procedures lists permissible
spending to include: (a) developing and maintaining an ongoing
communication network with beneficiaries and the general public;
(b) promoting a broader understanding of Hawaiian issues within
the Hawaiian community and among the general public to encourage
participating in the resolution of those issues; (c) covering
costs of social and charitable functions a trustee is expected to
support, including sponsoring or assisting a faith based
organization's halau, youth group, extracurricular after school
activities and sports activities that do not involve religious
practices or activities; (d) covering official travel,
registration fees, and associated costs to attend conferences,
seminars or meetings; (e) providing support for beneficiaries in
their personal quest for self-improvement, capacity building, and
education; (f) providing funds to purchase school and educational

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supplies and materials, audio-visual presentation equipment, and
capacity building aids for schools and organizations; and
(g) providing compassionate help to beneficiaries and their
families for emergencies, natural disasters, and other times of
need.
          On Count 38, the Commission found the "purchase of
refreshments for a staff meeting was a personal expense rather
than an expense that was necessary or required for OHA business."
On Count 39, the Commission found the "purchase of food for a
staff 'going away' party or for 'morale building' was a personal
expense rather than an expense that was necessary or required for
OHA business." On Count 40, the Commission found the "purchase
of refreshments for a staff meeting was a personal expense rather
than an expense that was necessary or required for OHA business."
On Count 41, the Commission found the "purchase of food for a
birthday lunch celebration for staff or for 'morale building' was
a personal expense rather than an expense that was necessary or
required for OHA business." On Count 42, the Commission found
the "purchase of food for an internal staff meeting was a
personal expense rather than an expense that was necessary or
required for OHA business." On Count 43, the Commission found
the "purchase of food for an internal staff meeting was a
personal expense rather than an expense that was necessary or
required for OHA business." On Count 44, the Commission found
the "purchase of food for an internal staff meeting was a
personal expense rather than an expense that was necessary or
required for OHA business." On Count 45, the Commission found
the "purchase of refreshments for staff was a personal expense
rather than an expense that was necessary or required for OHA
business." On Count 46, the Commission found the "purchase of
lunch for an internal staff meeting was a personal expense rather
than an expense that was necessary or required for OHA business."
On Count 47, the Commission found the "purchase of lunch for a
staff member's last day at work or for 'morale building' was a
personal expense rather than an expense that was necessary or

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required for OHA business." On Count 48, the Commission found
the "purchase of food for a [Board of Trustees] staff holiday
party or for 'morale purposes' was a personal expense rather than
an expense that was necessary or required for OHA business."
These findings were supported by substantial evidence and were
not clearly erroneous.
          The Commission found and concluded:

          111.   Although OHA policy relating to the purchase of food
                 with Trustee Annual Allowance funds was not the model
                 of clarity, substantial evidence was adduced that
                 Trustees were not allowed to spend Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds on staff parties, or on purely
                 internal meetings absent some documented need to do
                 so.

          112.   Even if OHA policy allowed Trustees to use Trustee
                 Allowance funds for food expenditures without
                 restriction, the State Ethics Code does not. The Fair
                 Treatment law does not permit an employee to use her
                 official position to obtain unwarranted benefits for
                 herself or anyone else. The Fair Treatment law
                 prohibits Trustees from using Trustee Allowance funds
                 for food expenditures to obtain unwarranted personal
                 benefits for themselves or other OHA employees.

          113.   Respondent Akana used her Trustee Allowance to
                 purchase refreshments or lunches for herself and her
                 staff. Such expenditures are generally considered
                 personal expenses for state employees unless they are
                 necessary for state business. In this case, the Fair
                 Treatment law prohibited Respondent's expenditures of
                 Trustee Allowance funds for personal purchases of food
                 for herself and her staff unless the expenditures were
                 necessary or required for state (i.e., OHA) business.
          114.   The Commission understands that Hawaii has a cultural
                 practice of using food to express appreciation and
                 Aloha. The State Ethics Code does not prohibit OHA
                 employees from purchasing food to share with work
                 colleagues. However, Trustees seeking to purchase
                 food as an expression of appreciation to OHA staff
                 should make these purchases using personal funds
                 rather than the OHA Trustee Allowance, which is
                 specifically dedicated to benefitting Hawaiian
                 beneficiaries by, among other things, promoting a
                 broader understanding of Hawaiian issues or developing
                 a communication network with beneficiaries and the
                 general public. Using Trustee Allowance funds to
                 purchase food for the office without any clear
                 business need provides OHA employees with an
                 unwarranted benefit in contravention of the Fair
                 Treatment Law and the purpose of the Trustee Allowance
                 fund.

          115.   The Commission concludes, based upon competent and
                 substantial evidence, that Respondent Akana's food

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               purchases were personal expenses and were not
               necessary or required for OHA business. The purchase
               of pastries, coco puffs, or manapua for a staff
               meeting is a personal expense rather than an expense
               that is necessary for the performance of OHA business.
               (Counts 38, 40, 42, 43, 45). The purchase of food for
               a staff lunch — even if work is discussed during lunch
               -- is also a personal expense unless it is necessary
               for staff to perform OHA business during lunch (Counts
               44, 46). The Commission concludes that Respondent
               Akana's use of her Trustee Annual Allowance fund to
               pay for these personal food expenses was an
               unwarranted personal benefit for Respondent Akana and
               OHA staff.
        116.   Likewise, although the Commission understands that a
               Trustee — or any state agency head -- may wish to
               promote office morale by purchasing food to celebrate
               staff birthdays or holiday parties, this was not an
               allowed expenditure under OHA policy; nor was it
               allowed under the State Ethics Code. These are
               personal expenses for which Trustee Annual Allowance
               funds should not have been used. The State Ethics
               Code does not permit the expenditure of Trustee Annual
               Allowance funds (rather than personal funds) on staff
               birthday, going away, or holiday parties (Counts 39,
               41, 47, 48). The Commission concludes that Respondent
               Akana's use of her Trustee Annual Allowance fund to
               pay for these personal food expenses was an
               unwarranted personal benefit for Respondent Akana and
               OHA staff.

        117.   The Commission is not persuaded by Respondent Akana's
               attempt to justify her food expenditures by asserting
               that members of her staff for whom she purchased
               refreshments and lunches were also OHA beneficiaries.
               The evidence clearly showed that Respondent's food
               purchases were to benefit herself and her "staff" —
               that is, the employees who worked for her at OHA. The
               evidence does not support Respondent's contention that
               she used Trustee Annual Allowance funds to purchase
               food for her "staff" because they were OHA
               beneficiaries.
        118.   Respondent Akana used or attempted to use her official
               position to secure unwarranted personal benefits for
               herself and other OHA employees, in violation of HRS
               § 84-13, by paying for food for herself and/or OHA
               Trustees and/or OHA staff with Trustee Annual
               Allowance funds on the following dates:
               a.    March 17, 2014, "refreshments for staff
                     meeting," from Leonard's Bakery, $17.80 (Count
                     38);

               b.    July 3, 2014, food for a staff "going away
                     party", [sic] from 1132 Café & Catering, $268.59
                     (Count 39);

               c.    August 4, 2014, food for a staff[]"working
                     meeting," from Liliha Bakery, $31.94 (Count 40);

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                 d.    February 10, 2015, food for a "birthday
                       celebration" for staff, from Zippy's Nimitz,
                       $61.83 (Count 41);

                 e.    January 23, 2015, manapua for staff, from Royal
                       Kitchen, $66.49 (Count 42);

                 f.    July 9, 2015, food for a "staff meeting," from
                       Liliha Bakery, $39.48 (Count 43);

                 g.    December 2, 2015, food for a "working lunch"
                       with staff, from Chinatown Express Ala Moana,
                       $31.01 (Count 44);
                 h.    August 15, 2016, "refreshments for staff" from
                       Leonard's Bakery, $20.73 (Count 45);

                 i.    October 5, 2016, lunch for a "staff lunch," from
                       Tanaka Saimin, $43.66 (Count 46);
                 j.    February 17, 2017, the cost of food that had
                       been purchased for a staff member's "last day,"
                       $25.00 (Count 47); and

                 k.    December 5, 2017, noodles from Royal Kitchen for
                       a "pot luck" OHA Trustees' holiday party, $23.72
                       (Count 48).
          119.   Each expenditure made by Respondent Akana out of
                 Trustee Annual Allowance funds to pay for food for
                 herself, other OHA Trustees, and/or OHA staff
                 constitutes a separate violation of HRS § 84-13.
          120.   Even if one or more of these purchases had been
                 "disallowed" by OHA, such that Respondent Akana
                 eventually used personal funds to pay for the
                 expenditures, each attempt by Respondent Akana to use
                 her official position to make the above-referenced
                 purchases of food constitutes a violation of HRS
                 § 84-13.

          These mixed findings and conclusions are supported by
substantial evidence in the record, and by the Commission's
unchallenged findings. They were not clearly erroneous, and
reflect an application of the correct rule of law. The
Commission's findings that Akana spending her allowance on
refreshments for internal staff meetings, parties, and "morale
building" were for her, her staff's, and her fellow trustees'
benefit, and not to benefit OHA beneficiaries, was not clearly
erroneous. The Commission's conclusions that Akana's spending
was an unwarranted privilege in violation of the Fair Treatment
Law was not wrong, an abuse of discretion, or arbitrary or
capricious.

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          4.     Political Contributions.       Akana challenges the
Commission's decisions on Counts 49 through 51, which charged:

                64.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds to make a political contribution of $50.00
          to the Hawaii County Democrats on or about February 11,
          2014, used or attempted to use her official position for
          political purposes — that is, to unfairly benefit a
          political party — in violation of HRS § 84-13 (COUNT 49).

                65.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds to make a political contribution of $50.00
          to the Democratic National Committee on or about
          February 11, 2014, used or attempted to use her official
          position for political purposes — that is, to unfairly
          benefit a political party — in violation of HRS § 84-13
          (COUNT 50).
                66.   Respondent AKANA, by using Trustee Annual
          Allowance funds on or about December 5, 2017 to make a
          donation of $500.00 to pay for entertainment for the Kanaka
          Maoli Political Action Committee event, used or attempted to
          use her official position for political purposes — that is,
          to unfairly benefit one or more political action committees
          — in violation of HRS § 84-13 (COUNT 51).

          Akana argues that her $50 contributions to the Hawaii
County Democrats and the Democratic National Committee were both
allowed by OHA, or OHA "at least allowed one and the other was
repaid[.]" We've already rejected the argument that Akana could
not have violated the Code of Ethics because her spending was not
disallowed by OHA.
          Akana also argues that her donations were proper
because they benefitted "social platforms" and "social events"
and that her $500 contribution to Kanaka Maoli was "to pay DeMont
Connor for entertainment for Kanaka Maoli, an event presented on
January 16, 2018, by the Ho#omana Pono Political Action Committee
and the Ka Lahui Hawai#i Political Action Committee."
          Akana does not challenge these findings:

                                  Count 49

          . . . .
          277.   The "Hawaii County Democrats" is affiliated with the
                 Democratic Party of Hawaii, a political party.

          278.   Margaret Wille, the Chair of the Democratic Party for
                 the County of Hawaii, was called as a witness by
                 Respondent Akana.

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        279.   Every year, there is a county convention of the
               Democratic Party to which all Democratic candidates
               and elected officials are invited.

        280.   The public is invited to attend and watch the event,
               but only Democratic officials and candidates are
               allowed to speak:
                     Q.    (Respondent's Counsel) And just to be
                           clear, it's not just all elected officials
                           and all candidates within the democratic
                           party. It's bipartisan; is that accurate?
                     A.    (Ms. Wille) No. It's — it is democrat, all
                           democrats.

               Tr. IV:617:25 - 618:10. See also Tr. IV:618:18 - 619:3
               ("We don't — we don't invite — there's a republican
               candidate, they're not invited to speak.").

        281.   Donations received for the event are used to cover
               expenses at the event, with any extra proceeds rolled
               over to the next political event - such as the Grand
               Rally the night before the primary election.
        282.   At one of the Hawaii County Democrats' events, some
               Republicans were handing out materials and Ms. Wille
               "sort of shooed them"; Republicans would not be
               permitted to take over the Hawaii County Democrats'
               event.
        . . . .

        284.   Although Respondent Akana maintains that her $50
               donation to the Hawaii County Democrats was for
               refreshments for the event, she reported it on her
               quarterly report (January 1, 2014 - March 31, 2014) as
               a "political contribution."

        . . . .
                                Count 50

        . . . .

        290.   The Democratic National Committee is a political
               party.

        291.   Respondent Akana's quarterly report (January 1, 2014 -
               March 31, 2014) included supporting documentation for
               Respondent's political contribution to the Democratic
               National Committee. The supporting documentation
               included a copy of a Democratic National Committee
               donation form soliciting donations "to help take back
               the House, protect our Senate majority, and win
               crucial Democratic victories at all levels."
        292.   Respondent Akana reported the $50 donation to the
               Democratic National Committee on her quarterly report
               as a "political contribution."

        . . . .

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                                  Count 51

          . . . .
          296.   On or about December 5, 2017, Respondent Akana used
                 $500 of Trustee Annual Allowance funds to pay DeMont
                 Connor for entertainment for Kanaka Maoli, an event
                 presented on January 16, 2018, by the Ho#omana Pono
                 Political Action Committee (HPAC) (of which Mr. Connor
                 was President[)] and the Ka Lahui Hawai#i Political
                 Action Committee (KPAC)[.]
          297.   Respondent Akana reported the $500 payment to DeMont
                 Connor as a "Donation for entertainment for 01/16/18
                 event" on her quarterly report for October 1, 2017 -
                 December 31, 2017.
          298.   Respondent Akana's Trustee Allowance Beneficiary/
                 Organization Donation Form described the purpose of
                 the $500 donation as, "Funding For Entertainment At
                 January 16, 2018 Event."
          299.   In an email to Respondent Akana's aide Kay Watanabe,
                 dated November 29, 2017, DeMont Connor stated: "Aloha
                 e Kay! Here is the flyer for the event on January 16,
                 2018. I am NOT asking funding for the political event.
                 My request is for Entertainment."

(Some citations to evidence omitted.)
          On Count 49, Akana challenges the Commission's finding
that she "used her Trustee Annual Allowance to benefit a
political party by making a political contribution to the Hawaii
County Democrats on or about February 11, 2014." She
acknowledges that OHA's TSAAF Handbook "states explicitly that
'political contributions' are not allowed[.]" But she argues
that "the fiduciary duties given an OHA trustee take precedence
over OHA internal policy or guidelines." She hasn't explained
why she reasonably believed she had a fiduciary duty to give $50
to the Hawaii County Democrats, but not to any other political
organization (other than the Democratic National Committee).
          The Commission found and concluded:

          123.   Respondent Akana used or attempted to use her official
                 position to provide an unwarranted benefit to a
                 political party in violation of HRS § 84-13 (Count 49)
                 by making a political contribution of $50 to the
                 Hawaii County Democrats on or about February 11, 2014
                 with her Trustee Annual Allowance funds (Count 49).

                 . . . .

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          128.   One of the basic precepts of the State Ethics Code is
                 that state employees cannot use state resources (or in
                 this case, resources given to a state employee because
                 of her official position) for political campaign
                 purposes or activities. Additionally, OHA policy
                 clearly prohibited the use of Trustee Annual Allowance
                 funds for political contributions or political action
                 committee events. Thus, Respondent Akana should have
                 been well aware that the use of Trustee Allowance
                 funds for political contributions or political action
                 committee events (Counts 49-51) was prohibited.

          These mixed findings and conclusions are supported by
substantial evidence in the record, and by the Commission's
unchallenged findings. They were not clearly erroneous, and
reflect an application of the correct rule of law. On this
record, we cannot conclude that the Commission abused its
discretion in determining that Akana's spending violated the Fair
Treatment Law.
          On Count 50, Akana challenges the Commission's finding
that she "used her Trustee Annual Allowance to benefit a
political party by making a political contribution to the
Democratic National Committee on or about February 11, 2014."
She makes no specific arguments to challenge the Commission's
mixed finding and conclusion:

          124.   Respondent Akana used or attempted to use her official
                 position to provide an unwarranted benefit to a
                 political party in violation of HRS § 84-13 by making
                 a political contribution of $50 to the Democratic
                 National Committee on or about February 11, 2014 with
                 her Trustee Annual Allowance funds (Count 50).

We cannot conclude that the Commission abused its discretion by
determining that Akana's spending violated the Fair Treatment
Law.
          On Count 51, Akana challenges these findings and
conclusions:

          II.    FINDINGS OF FACT

          . . . .

          300.   Notwithstanding Mr. Connor's statement that he was not
                 asking for funding for the "political event" on
                 January 16, 2018, Respondent Akana's donation to
                 Mr. Connor was for the purpose of funding

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                 entertainment for the event and therefore directly
                 benefitted the political action committee event.
          301.   OHA policy prohibited the use of Trustee Annual
                 Allowance funds for this contribution to a political
                 action committee event.

          . . . .
          303.   The Commission finds that Respondent Akana used her
                 Trustee Annual Allowance to benefit one or more
                 political action committees by making a contribution
                 on or about December 5, 2017, for entertainment for
                 the Kanaka Maoli political action committee event
                 presented by HPAC and KPAC.

          . . . .
          III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

          . . . .

          125.   Respondent Akana used or attempted to use her official
                 position to provide an unwarranted benefit to one or
                 more political action committees in violation of HRS
                 § 84-13 by using Trustee Annual Allowance funds to
                 make a contribution of $500 on or about December 5,
                 2017 to pay for entertainment for the Kanaka Maoli
                 Political Action Committee event (Count 51).

          Akana argues her spending was for "OHA beneficiaries
solely for entertainment purposes." Substantial evidence in the
record shows that the entertainment for which Akana paid was part
of a political event, and that trustee allowances were not to be
used as "resources for the support of any political activity[.]"
On this record, we cannot conclude that the Commission abused its
discretion by determining that Akana's spending violated the Fair
Treatment Law.

          G.     The Commission's findings and conclusions
                 about Akana's violations of the Gifts
                 Reporting Law and Gifts Law were supported by
                 substantial evidence and were neither clearly
                 erroneous nor wrong.

          Counts 1 through 4 alleged that Akana violated the
Gifts Reporting Law. The Gifts Reporting Law requires that a
state employee file an annual disclosure statement with the
Commission if:

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            (1)   The . . . employee . . . received directly or
                  indirectly from one source any gift or gifts valued
                  singly or in the aggregate in excess of $200, whether
                  the gift is in the form of money, service, goods, or
                  in any other form;
            (2)   The source of the gift or gifts have interests that
                  may be affected by official action or lack of action
                  by the . . . employee; and

            (3)   The gift is not exempted by subsection (d) from
                  reporting requirements under this subsection.[7]

HRS § 84-11.5(a) (2012).
          Counts 5 and 6 alleged that Akana violated the Gifts
Law. The Gifts Law provides:

            No . . . employee shall solicit, accept, or receive,
            directly or indirectly, any gift, . . . under circumstances
            in which it can reasonably be inferred that the gift is
            intended to influence the . . . employee in the performance
            of the . . . employee's official duties or is intended as a
            reward for any official action on the . . . employee's part.

HRS § 84-11 (2012).
          The Commission found, and Akana does not challenge,
that: In 2013, Akana sued the other OHA trustees over OHA's
practices and procedures for giving trustees and beneficiaries
access to minutes and other records of executive session
meetings. The trustee defendants counterclaimed against Akana
for breaching her fiduciary duty and revealing privileged and
confidential information. Some of Akana's legal fees were paid
by Abigail Kawananakoa, an OHA beneficiary. Akana's lawsuit and
the other trustees' counterclaim were settled in November 2017.

      7
            HRS § 84-11.5(d) (2012) exempts gifts: (1) received by will or
intestate succession; (2) received from distribution of any inter vivos or
testamentary trust established by a spouse or ancestor; (3) from a spouse,
fiance, fiancee, any relative within four degrees of consanguinity or the
spouse, fiance, or fiancee of such a relative (but a gift from such a person
is a reportable gift if the person is acting as an agent or intermediary for
any person not covered by HRS § 84-11.5(d)(3)); (4) that are political
campaign contributions complying with state law; (5) available to or
distributed to the public generally without regard to the official status of
the recipient; (6) that, within thirty days after receipt, are returned to the
giver or delivered to a public body or to a bona fide educational or
charitable organization without the donation being claimed as a charitable
contribution for tax purposes; and (7) of approximately equal value exchanged
on holidays, birthdays, or special occasions. None of these exemptions apply
in this case.

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In February 2017 (while Akana's lawsuit was still pending),
Kawananakoa sued OHA, OHA trustee and former board chair
Robert K. Lindsey, and OHA chief executive officer Kamana#opono
Crabbe.   Kawananakoa sought to set aside Crabbe's employment
contract with OHA. Akana's answer to the charges admitted that
Kawananakoa had interests that may have been affected by official
action or lack of action by Akana, and that Akana participated in
at least one OHA Board of Trustees executive session meeting
about Kawananakoa's lawsuit.
          Akana challenges these findings and conclusions:

           II.    FINDINGS OF FACT

           . . . .

           21.    As an OHA beneficiary who has over many years
                  maintained a personal interest in OHA business,
                  Ms. Kawananakoa had interests that may have been
                  affected by official action or lack of action on the
                  part of Respondent Akana.

           . . . .

           36.    Respondent Akana participated in at least one
                  executive session meeting of the OHA BOT regarding the
                  Kawananakoa v. OHA lawsuit. Further Statement ¶34;
                  Answer ¶1 (admits ¶34).

           37.    Specifically, Respondent Akana was present for the
                  entire executive session of the BOT on March 9, 2017,
                  in which the BOT consulted with its attorney, Paul
                  Alston, regarding the Kawananakoa v. OHA lawsuit.

           . . . .

           44.    Respondent Akana received the value of
                  Ms. Kawananakoa's gifts — payments of more than
                  $70,000 — in the form of legal services provided by
                  the Bickerton Dang law firm.
           . . . .
           III.   CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

           . . . .
           52.    Ms. Kawananakoa had interests that may have been
                  affected by official action or lack of action on the
                  part of Respondent Akana, which Respondent admitted in
                  her Answer to the Further Statement of Alleged
                  Violation. Further Statement ¶33; Answer ¶1 (admits
                  to ¶33).
           53.    Ms. Kawananakoa's interests stemmed from her status as
                  an OHA beneficiary, as the plaintiff in the

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              Kawananakoa v. OHA lawsuit, and as the funder of the
              Akana v. OHA BOT lawsuit (which Respondent Akana
              brought in both her individual and official
              capacities).

        . . . .
        56.   As the plaintiff in a lawsuit against OHA,
              Ms. Kawananakoa — the source of the gifts (payments of
              legal fees) to Respondent Akana — had interests that
              may have been affected by official action, or lack
              thereof, by Respondent Akana. Respondent Akana, as a
              member of the BOT overseeing and directing OHA, a
              defendant in the lawsuit, could and did participate in
              at least one executive session meeting in which the
              OHA Trustees discussed the Kawananakoa lawsuit with
              their legal counsel and was in a position to take
              official action affecting Ms. Kawananakoa (such as a
              recommendation to settle the lawsuit).
        57.   As the source of funding for the Akana v. OHA BOT
              lawsuit, Ms. Kawananakoa had interests that may have
              been affected — and indeed were affected — by
              Respondent Akana's decision (Respondent's "official
              action") to initiate and continue her lawsuit against
              the other OHA Trustees, and to defend against the
              other Trustees' counterclaim against her.
              Ms. Kawananakoa's interests stemmed from her
              continuing financial support for Respondent Akana's
              lawsuit and legal defense.

        . . . .
        60.   The legal fees paid by Ms. Kawananakoa to the
              Bickerton Dang law firm for legal services provided to
              Respondent Akana were gifts to Respondent Akana within
              the meaning of HRS § 84-11.5; Bickerton Dang's legal
              services, paid for by Ms. Kawananakoa, were
              "service[s]" that were "received directly or
              indirectly" by Respondent Akana.

        61.   Each of the following payments of legal fees by
              Ms. Kawananakoa to the Bickerton Dang law firm for
              legal services provided to Respondent Akana was a gift
              valued at over $200:
              a.    July 1, 2015 ($10,478.52) (Count 1);

              b.    August 10, 2015 ($9,521.48) (Count 2);
              c.    March 24, 2016 ($6,000.00) (Count 3);
              d.    April 19, 2016 ($24,125.50) (Count 4).

        62.   None of these gifts were exempted by HRS § 84-11.5(d)
              from the gifts reporting requirements.
        63.   Gifts received at different times must be reported
              separately: HRS § 84-11.5 requires an individual
              filing a gifts disclosure statement to report "[t]he
              date the gift was received[.]" HRS § 84-11.5(c)(3);
              see also HRS § 84-11.5(a)(l) (requires reporting of
              "any gift or gifts valued singly or in the aggregate

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              in excess of $200, whether the gift is in the form of
              money, service, goods, or in any other form").
        64.   Each payment of legal fees by Ms. Kawananakoa to the
              Bickerton Dang law firm for legal services provided to
              Respondent Akana, constituted a separate and distinct,
              reportable gift for purposes of HRS § 84-11.5.
        65.   Respondent Akana was clearly required to report each
              payment of legal fees by Ms. Kawananakoa to the
              Bickerton Dang law firm on an annual gifts disclosure
              statement filed with the Commission, by the deadlines
              set forth in HRS § 84-11.5.
        66.   Respondent Akana was required to report
              Ms. Kawananakoa's payment of legal fees on July 1,
              2015 ($10,478.52) by the statutory deadline of June
              30, 2016 (Count 1).
        67.   Respondent Akana was required to report
              Ms. Kawananakoa's payment of legal fees on August 10,
              2015 ($9,521.48) by the statutory deadline of June 30,
              2016 (Count 2).

        68.   Respondent Akana was required to report
              Ms. Kawananakoa's payment of legal fees on March 24,
              2016 ($6,000) by the statutory deadline of June 30,
              2016 (Count 3).

        69.   Respondent Akana was required to report
              Ms. Kawananakoa's payment of legal fees on April 19,
              2016 ($24,125.50) by the statutory deadline of
              June 30, 2016 (Count 4).

        70.   Respondent Akana's contention that she did not need to
              report these legal fees and that they were not "gifts"
              because she received them in her "official capacity"
              is wholly without merit: if she were correct, then
              state employees could simply ignore HRS § 84-11.5
              altogether by claiming that gifts — whether cash,
              meals, tangible goods, or services — were being
              provided to them in their official capacities. This
              contradicts the plain language of HRS § 84-11.5.
        71.   Respondent Akana accepted Ms. Kawananakoa's offer to
              pay for her legal fees. It was incumbent upon
              Respondent to ascertain the value of these legal fees
              for gift reporting purposes and to report these gifts
              in a timely fashion as required by HRS § 84-11.5. Her
              claim that she was not provided with copies of the
              Bickerton Dang law firm's invoices and that, during
              the course of the litigation, she did not know the
              specific amounts of her legal fees does not absolve
              Respondent of her responsibilities under the State
              Ethics Code.
        72.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11.5 by failing to
              report a gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees)
              from Ms. Kawananakoa received on July 1, 2015
              ($10,478.52) by the statutory deadline of June 30,
              2016 (Count 1).

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        73.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11.5 by failing to
              report a gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees)
              from Ms. Kawananakoa received on August 10, 2015
              ($9,521.48) by the statutory deadline of June 30, 2016
              (Count 2).
        74.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11.5 by failing to
              report a gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees)
              from Ms. Kawananakoa received on March 24, 2016
              ($6,000.00) by the statutory deadline of June 30, 2016
              (Count 3).
        75.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11.5 by failing to
              report a gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees)
              from Ms. Kawananakoa received on April 19, 2016
              ($24,125.50) by the statutory deadline of June 30,
              2016 (Count 4).

        . . . .
        86.   Respondent Akana's continued acceptance of gifts of
              legal fees — on two occasions, totaling more than
              $21,000 — after Ms. Kawananakoa filed a lawsuit
              against OHA, creates a reasonable inference "that the
              gift is intended to influence [Respondent Akana] in
              the performance of [Respondent Akana's] official
              duties or is intended as a reward for any official
              action on [Respondent Akana's] part." HRS § 84-11.

        87.   A reasonable person clearly could — and, the
              Commission believes, would — infer that a donor who
              pays for more than $21,000 of services to an elected
              official after suing that official's agency intends to
              influence that official.

        . . . .

        97.   Respondent Akana contends that she did not violate the
              Gifts law because she was not asked to give anything
              in return for Ms. Kawananakoa's payment of legal fees
              and the payment of these fees did not result in any
              official acts by Respondent benefitting
              Ms. Kawananakoa. The Commission concludes that
              Respondent's contention is without merit. A donor's
              actual intent in giving a gift does not determine
              whether a gift is prohibited by the Gifts law;
              similarly, it does not matter whether the gift
              actually influences the recipient's actions. If a
              gift is given under circumstances where it can
              reasonably be inferred that an intent to influence or
              reward exists, the gift is prohibited. This
              interpretation of the Gifts law fully comports with
              the plain language of the law as well as the purpose
              of the State Ethics Code to preserve public confidence
              in public officials.
        98.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11 by accepting a
              gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees) from
              Ms. Kawananakoa on or about April 28, 2017
              ($15,513.15) when the OHA BOT, including Respondent
              Akana, was engaged in the Kawananakoa vs. OHA lawsuit
              (Count 5).

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          99.   Respondent Akana violated HRS § 84-11 by accepting a
                gift (the payment of Respondent's legal fees) from
                Ms. Kawananakoa on or about June 17, 2017 ($6,000.00)
                when the OHA BOT, including Respondent Akana, was
                engaged in the Kawananakoa vs. OHA lawsuit (Count 6).

(Citation omitted.)
           The Commission weighs three factors to determine
whether a gift is prohibited under the Code of Ethics: (1) the
value of the gift; (2) the relationship between the recipient and
the donor, including whether the recipient takes official action
regarding the donor; and (3) whether the gift benefits the
recipient personally or serves legitimate state interests. Haw.
State Ethics Comm'n Advisory Op. No. 2018-002, 2018 WL 4599569,
at *2 (June 21, 2018). Akana argues that she may accept
Kawananakoa paying her attorneys' fees because her lawsuit
against the other trustees was brought to further the interests
of OHA beneficiaries. She misses the point. Kawananakoa paying
Akana's attorneys' fees for her lawsuit against the other
trustees could reasonably be seen as possibly influencing Akana's
position on Kawananakoa's lawsuit against OHA. The value of the
gift — over $70,000 — satisfies the first factor.
           Akana argues she had no significant relationship with
Kawananakoa before Kawananakoa began paying her attorneys' fees.
But this weighs against any inference that Kawananakoa paid
Akana's attorneys' fees out of friendship, and supports the
inference that Kawananakoa paid Akana's attorneys' fees to try to
influence the positions taken by Akana in the Kawananakoa v. OHA
lawsuit. Akana also argues "the unrebutted evidence [shows] that
no action had ever been taken on" Kawananakoa's lawsuit. She
again misses the point. Akana, as a trustee, could influence
OHA's decisions on Kawananakoa's lawsuit. No action — rather
than aggressive defensive action — being taken could have been
the result of Akana's influence. The second factor was
satisfied.
           Akana notes that the Commission made no finding on the
third factor, because it felt the strength of the first two

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factors made the third factor inconsequential. Still, she argues
that she did not benefit from Kawananakoa's payment of her
attorneys' fees. The Commission found, and Akana doesn't
challenge, that the Bickerton Dang law firm provided legal
services to Akana for her lawsuit against the other trustees.
Akana offered no evidence to the Commission that she would not
have been personally liable for her attorneys' fees had
Kawananakoa not paid them. The record indicates that the third
factor was also satisfied.
           The Commission's findings, conclusions, and mixed
findings and conclusions were supported by substantial evidence
and by the Commission's unchallenged findings, and reflected a
correct application of the law. They were neither clearly
erroneous nor wrong. The Commission did not abuse its discretion
by deciding that Akana violated the Gifts Reporting Law and the
Gifts Law.

          H.   Akana waived her appeal from the order
               denying her motion for a stay.

          Akana contends the circuit court abused its discretion
by denying her request for a stay pending appeal and concluding
the factors under HRS § 91-14(c) were not met. Akana's opening
brief makes no discernable argument on this point. The
Commission argues the point should be deemed waived. Akana's
reply brief argues the point should not be deemed waived because
it involved motions briefed and argued in the circuit court, her
argument on this point was referenced in her statement of the
points of error, and the argument was not made in her opening
brief for economy. Attempts to incorporate by reference in the
opening brief arguments made before the trial court violate the
35-page limitation in HRAP Rule 28(a). Kapiolani Com. Ctr. v.
A & S P'ship, 68 Haw. 580, 584-85, 723 P.2d 181, 184-85 (1986)
("Since this is in violation of our rules, we will disregard
those points.").

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          I.   The circuit court retained jurisdiction to
               rule on the Commission's motion to amend the
               judgment.

          Akana contends that her notice of appeal immediately
divested the circuit court of jurisdiction to grant the
Commission's motion to amend the judgment. The Commission argues
this point too should be deemed waived because it was not argued
in Akana's opening brief. But "lack of subject matter
jurisdiction can never be waived by any party at any time."
Ditto v. McCurdy, 103 Hawai#i 153, 157, 80 P.3d 974, 978 (2003)
(citation omitted).
          The Commission's motion to amend was filed within the
time required by Hawai#i Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 59(e).
The circuit court's jurisdiction was extended for up to 90 days
after the motion was filed. See HRAP Rule 4(a)(3) ("The
presiding court or agency in which the motion was filed shall
dispose of any such post-judgment motion by entering an order
upon the record within 90 days after the date the motion was
filed."). The circuit court retained jurisdiction to enter the
Amended Final Judgment.
          The Amended Final Judgment substantially and materially
altered the Final Judgment by adding fines of $23,106.53 against
Akana. Ordinarily, if amendment of a final judgment materially
alters rights or obligations determined by the prior judgment, a
notice of appeal from the amended judgment must be filed. See
Korsak v. Haw. Permanente Med. Grp., 94 Hawai#i 297, 304, 12 P.3d
1238, 1245 (2000). But the Final Judgment affirmed the
Commission's imposition of the fines; it just didn't liquidate
the amount. Akana's notice of appeal was timely as to the
Amended Final Judgment under HRAP Rule 4(a)(2) ("If a notice of
appeal is filed after announcement of a decision but before entry
of the judgment or order, such notice shall be considered as
filed immediately after the time the judgment or order becomes
final for the purpose of appeal.").

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                           V. CONCLUSION

          For all of these reasons, the circuit court's Amended
Final Judgment and the Commission's Findings of Fact, Conclusions
of Law, and Decision and Order are affirmed.
          DATED: Honolulu, Hawai#i, January 22, 2024.
On the briefs:
                                       /s/ Katherine G. Leonard
James J. Bickerton,                    Acting Chief Judge
Bridget G. Morgan-Bickerton,
Stephen M. Tannenbaum,                 /s/ Keith K. Hiraoka
Jeremy K. O'Steen,                     Associate Judge
for Respondent-Appellant-
Appellant.                             /s/ Karen T. Nakasone
                                       Associate Judge
Kaliko#onalani D. Fernandes,
Solicitor General,
State of Hawai#i,
for Complainant-Appellee-
Appellee.

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