U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele and business entrepreneur Vicky Cayetano are the subjects of separate investigations by the state Campaign Spending Commission related to their unsuccessful campaigns to become Hawaii’s next governor.
The commission on Thursday is scheduled to consider an allegation that Kahele, a Democrat, solicited campaign donations from contributors who previously donated to Gov. David Ige, a violation of state law.
It’s difficult to link campaign solicitations to donors who gave to other campaigns. But the first-term congressman allegedly cited the donations to Ige’s 2014 campaign in asking for donations to his own campaign.
When it meets this week, the Campaign Spending Commission may consider a range of options, including whether to “summarily dismiss the complaint, investigate further, make a preliminary determination of the existence of probable cause to believe a violation of law has been committed, or refer the complaint to an appropriate prosecuting attorney for prosecution,” according to the meeting agenda.
Kahele did not immediately respond to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser request for comment on the allegation Saturday.
Kahele spent more than $305,000 in his Democratic primary campaign and finished in third place with 37,738 votes, or 14.5% of the votes cast.
Fellow Democrat Cayetano attracted 52,447 votes, or 20.1% of primary ballots, putting her in second place behind Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who received 158,161 votes, or an overwhelming 60.6%.
Kahele launched his campaign in May pledging not to accept campaign donations from political action committees, super PACs, corporations and mainland donors as he had in the past, saying he had become part of the problem of
influence peddling.
Instead, he pledged to accept only donations of $100 or less, hoping to qualify for an additional $208,000 in state matching funds. However, Kahele missed the June deadline to file a sworn and notarized affidavit that he would follow mandatory spending limits, making him ineligible for state campaign funds.
The Campaign Spending Commission continues to investigate an allegation against Cayetano — filed May 31 ahead of the Aug. 13 primary election — that she had coordinated on expenditures with the Super PAC Victory Calls 2022, which would violate state law.
During the primary election campaign, Victory Calls 2022 ran ads critical of Green.
The complaint is listed on last month’s meeting agenda as “Docket No. 22-16 — Christian West v. [Vicky] Cayetano.”
West, the complainant, has not produced documents requested by commission staff to back up his accusation. He has been told his complaint would be dismissed if he does not produce the documents.
Cayetano did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
She spent more than
$3.2 million in her gubernatorial campaign, including $2.35 million that she loaned herself.
Separately, Republican Eric Ryan — a frequent critic of the Republic Party of Hawaii and many of its candidates — has filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission against Republican lieutenant governor candidate Seaula “Junior” Tupai, a Hilo-based pastor, alleging he filed “fraudulent” financial disclosure statements by the candidate and his sister, Helen Tupai.
In his voluminous complaint, Ryan offers no specific evidence but instead questioned the source of Tupai’s income.
Ryan signed his complaint as co-chair of a group called Citizens Against Crooked Politicians.
