The donations involved three Honolulu engineering firms: Sato and Associates and company officials, who donated a total of $5,400 to Friends of James "Kimo" Apana; Geolabs and company officials, who donated $15,000; and Thermal Engineering, which made a $2,000 contribution under a false name.

Apana's campaign returned $1,400 from Sato and Associates, $11,000 from Geolabs and the $2,000 from Thermal Engineering.

All three firms were fined by the Campaign Spending Commission for their donations to Apana's campaign and to other candidates, including Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris.

Campaign spending laws limit contributions to $4,000 per donor. Contributions submitted under a company name are combined with donations from company officers to count as a single donation.

Gary Yoshimura, Apana's campaign treasurer, said the re-election committee was informed of the need to return the $14,400 in an Aug. 26 letter from Campaign Spending Commission Chairman Bob Watada.

Apana said he appreciates the commission's help in keeping track of campaign finances.

"A candidate has no way of knowing when a donor has engaged in a practice contrary to the spirit and intent of the rules governing campaign fund raising," the mayor said in a statement released yesterday. "A candidate has no way of knowing who is related to whom and who works for which company."