Les Kondo strikes again.

The executive director of the State Ethics Commission issued two memos Monday to state legislators informing them that he was advising against accepting invitations to events hosted by lobbyists.

The first event — being held this evening at the Oahu Country Club — is the Pacific Resource Partnership’s Annual Reception honoring the recipient of the 2012 Hawaii Carpenters Union Outstanding Union Builder Award.

Kondo said there appeared to be no “state benefit” associated with legislators or other government officials attendance at the reception, which featured “heavy pupus and an open bar.”

The commission learned the cost per person was $100, and not the $40 estimated by Pacific Resource Partnership.

The second event — tomorrow at the Hawaii State Art Museum — is “A Taste of Ag” presented by the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.

The event, which will feature local produce and products and free drinks, is valued at $50.

The commission generally allows “food and drink” invitations valued at more than $25 if there is sufficient “state benefit” in lawmakers attendance. But the commission saw no benefit, observing that “both organizations and their members have interests that may be affected by official action by invited members of the legislature.”

Kondo said that the State Ethics Code “prohibits state employees from accepting any gift, including a meal or an invitation to a ‘food-and-drink’ event, if it is reasonable to infer that the gift is intended to influence or reward official action.”

The 2012 Hawaii Legislature opens for business Jan. 18.

New Sheriff

As Civil Beat has reported, Kondo, executive director for just a year now, has infused a new energy into the job.

Last year, he angered many lawmakers by barring them from accepting $200 tickets to a fundraiser held by the politically influential Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs.

He also ruled against them accepting dinner to an upscale San Antonio restaurant by the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, the Hawaii Medical Services Association, Outrigger Enterprises, Island Insurance and Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel.

And Kondo determined that members of a state Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force may have violated ethics laws.

Alicia Maluafiti, executive director of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, sent out an email to legislators on Monday.

“We are extremely disappointed in the decision because Hawaii Farm Bureau president, Dean Okimoto, and myself, met with Les Kondo for 90 minutes almost two weeks ago to discuss his concerns,” she wrote. “Based on his recommendations, we believe we modified the event to sufficiently address those concerns.”  

Privately, some powerful lawmakers say they aren’t happy with Kondo’s aggressive application of state law. There is talk they could look for ways to water down Ethics Commission authority or find loopholes in existing law.

Other lawmakers, however, welcome the fresh scrutiny of the Legislature, where, these supporters argue, legislators are too often doing work that benefits special interests rather than the greater good.