The Campaign Spending Commission is reviewing recently released email correspondence of Pacific Resource Partnership’s 2012 campaign against mayoral hopeful Ben Cayetano to determine whether the group committed any violations that could warrant further investigation, the state agency’s attorney said Thursday.

At issue is whether all of the consultants who appeared to be working on the anti-Cayetano campaign were properly listed on spending reports filed by PRP’s political acton committee.

"If you pay a consultant with your campaign funds, yes, you have to report it — every expenditure you make from your campaign fund," said Gary Kam, commission general counsel. "From what I read in the (media), there were some consultants there that I do not remember whether there were any expenditures reported."

Private emails, along with poll memos, advertising scripts and opposition research surfaced in media reports last week detailing PRP’s strategy to portray as corrupt the former two-term governor, who was running on a campaign to stop the city’s $5.26 billion rail project.

Cayetano and PRP have agreed to settle the former governor’s defamation lawsuit that alleged PRP had unfairly tarnished his reputation. PRP took out half-page ads in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser this month that included an apology and a pledge to donate $100,000 to the University of Hawaii medical school and $25,000 to the Hawaiian Humane Society in Cayetano’s name.

PRP, a consortium of union carpenters and private contractors who favor the rail project because of the construction jobs associated with it, spent $3.6 million to defeat Cayetano as well as an undisclosed but significant amount on I Mua Rail, a pro-rail campaign. The group also conducted an intensive voter outreach effort on behalf of Kirk Caldwell, who would be elected mayor in the November runoff after finishing second to Cayetano in the August primary. Mayor Peter Carlisle, who finished third in the primary, supported Caldwell in the runoff.

"We look forward to answering any questions the state Campaign Spending Commission may have about our campaign spending reports, and will work with the Commission to address any concerns," PRPsaid in an emailed statement.

Consultants who appeared in the emails included Andy Winer, a well-known Democratic strategist who was working on Mazie Hirono’s U.S. Senate bid in 2012 and now serves as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, and local public relations specialists Barbara Tanabe and Jim McCoy of Hoakea Communications.

Under state law the list of expenditures filed with the commission must include names and addresses of each payee along with the amount, date and purpose of each expenditure.