WHO GAVE: Pardee Erdman
WHO RECEIVED: Governor Linda Lingle
DATE: July 24, 2002
AMOUNT: $5,000
More than 400 people reportedly showed up at the big Jan. 8 lovefest
at the Kihei Community Center on the proposed for-profit Malulani
hospital in South Maui. At least one of them accused state Senator Roz
Baker—virtually the only local official who hasn’t yet planted a big
wet one on the hospital—of being in the pocket of the Maui Memorial
Medical Center and maybe even taking campaign contributions from them.
Baker denied taking any such money, pointing out that such
contributions would be illegal since MMMC is technically a government
agency, but the issue of money influencing political voices on Malulani
is a good one. Case in point is Governor Linda Lingle, who captured the
hearts of Malulani supporters by asking Baker and the rest of the state
Legislature to grant Malulani—and Plano, Texas-based Triad Hospitals,
which would actually run the medical center—a special exemption from
the current state laws governing new hospital approval. But hospital
backers don’t seem bothered by the fact that Lingle has taken thousands
of dollars from Malulani Health Systems officer Pardee Erdman, who is
also the chairman and CEO of the Ulupalakua Ranch. In fact, Erdman gave
Lingle $500 as recently as May 16, 2005—a month after corporate filings
show Erdman joined the Malulani board.
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