Ethics panel satisfied with effort to amend initial claim of $21,960

Hawaii Superferry substantially underreported its state lobbying expenses last year as it fought an environmental impact statement and then asked for special legislation that allowed it to resume interisland service.

Superferry executives at first reported $21,960 in lobbying expenses but, after being contacted by the state Ethics Commission, amended the reports to reflect $379,431 in lobbying expenses.

Dan Mollway, executive director of the commission, yesterday said Superferry would not be punished for the errors because the company cooperated and quickly filed the amended reports.

“They were totally willing to comply, and I didn’t get any sense it was done intentionally or that they were trying to hide anything,” he said.

Superferry last year hired some of the state’s top lobbyists and public relations executives to help at the Legislature and with the media. According to Ethics Commission records, the company spent more than twice as much on lobbying in 2007 than any other organization.

The second-highest lobbying expenditures were by the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, which spent $133,500.

Willful violations of the lobbying disclosure law can bring fines of $500, but Mollway said that did not appear to be the case with Hawaii Superferry.

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(Source: Derrick DePledge and Christie Wilson, Honolulu Advertiser)