U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele received nearly $13,000 in donations from mainland political action committees — including one representing the billionaire owner of the Miami Heat basketball team — then less than a month later condemned such contributions, saying “Hawaii is not for sale.”
Kahele announced his candidacy for governor on May 8, saying he had been part of the problem of accepting money from mainland and corporate interests and political action committees.
But beginning April 15, Kahele’s congressional campaign received donations from six mainland PACs including $5,000 from the Washington, D.C.-based Air Line Pilots Association, of which Kahele is a union member as a Hawaiian Airlines pilot; $2,500 each from the Communications Workers of America and International Association of Firefighters, both based in Washington, D.C.; $1,500 from Alaska Air Group Inc. in Seattle; and $1,400 from the Coral Gables, Fla.-based PAC named on behalf of Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Cruises, who was reported to be worth more than $9 billion. His wife, Madeleine Arison, also donated to Kahele, in the amount of $1,600.
Kahele cannot use his federal congressional donations in a statewide race so instead pledged in announcing his run for governor to accept only donations of $100 or less, hoping to qualify for an additional $208,000 in state matching funds.
But 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.
By last week’s state campaign spending reporting deadline, Kahele had raised $109,431 through June 30 — mostly from donations ranging from $5 to $100.
Kahele told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Friday that he is using the mainland PAC donations to his congressional account to support vulnerable Democratic House incumbents and candidates running in battleground states around the country to help Democrats maintain their House majority this November.
Kahele estimates he now has less than $150,000 in his congressional account and plans to “spend every penny” to ensure a Democratic majority in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
“I’ve pledged my entire federal campaign to holding and securing the House — every single penny. I want to give it all away. I don’t intend to have a single penny left in that account,” he told the Star-Advertiser.
Kahele made nearly $27,000 in campaign donations to six candidates and incumbents hoping to represent congressional districts including California, Illinois, Minnesota and New Jersey.
His congressional campaign also donated $5,000 to the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and a whopping $250,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats.
Kahele also donated $10,000 to the Democratic Party of Hawaii ahead of the three-day party convention at the ‘Alohilani Resort in Waikiki in late May.
By making a $10,000 donation at the highest “‘Ilima Level,” Kahele was provided lodging and “prime” locations to display campaign materials. He also spoke as a candidate for governor, “just like Vicky and Josh,” Kahele said, referring to the other major Democratic gubernatorial contenders, Lt. Gov. Josh Green and Vicky Cayetano, a business entrepreneur and former Hawaii first lady.
Colin Moore, director of the University of Hawaii’s Public Policy Center, sees no problem with Kahele making a donation to the state Democratic Party from his congressional account, even as a candidate for governor.
“I think it’s fine,” Moore said. “We’re talking about a member of Congress donating back to his own political party. That’s pretty standard stuff. It’s OK to remind the Democrats that he’s with the party.”
Political analyst Neal Milner could see no obvious violation “because campaign spending laws are so complex.”
As for Kahele’s April acceptance of mainland PAC money followed by his condemnation of the practice in May, Milner called it “a shade hypocritical. But hey, that’s politics.”
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