A telemarketer that raises money for the Hawaii Jaycees, the Rotary Club of Pearl Harbor and other local charities has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine for employing workers with criminal backgrounds.

Exclusive Promotions LLC also agreed to be placed on six months probation and implement hiring procedures that screen out prospective employees with criminal backgrounds.

The actions come as the attorney general's office has stepped up its oversight of telemarketers and fundraisers that work for local charities.

Last month, the attorney general's office fined another fundraiser, MJ888M Productions Inc., $12,100 for employing at least four people who had been convicted of felonies such as theft and burglary.

State law bars charitable fundraisers from hiring convicted felons to solicit money from local residents.

According to the attorney general's office, Exclusive Promotions employed three workers with convictions on misdemeanor charges involving theft.

The company told the AG's office it did not "knowingly" or "intentionally" violate the law.

Exclusive's president, Steven Wage, could not be reached, and a call to company attorney Michael Lilly was not returned.

According to reports filed with the AG's office, Exclusive raised a total of $161,789.62 from local donors during the year ending June 30, 2008.

Of that, the company gave $49,216.04 to the charities, or 30.4 percent.