Cash flowing to Lingle campaign

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Gov. Linda Lingle's campaign collected $718,000 in the first six months of the year, but was left with only about $150,000 on hand, according to campaign spending reports filed yesterday.

LINGLE

"This early in the campaign, it is kind of unusual," said state Campaign Spending Commission executive director Bob Watada. "But not that surprising because she said that she is going to be running (in 2006). And she's had several fund-raisers."

Lingle chief of staff Bob Awana, who also headed Lingle's campaign, said most of the contributions came from the governor's series of "birthday bash" fund-raisers in early June on Maui, O'ahu, the Big Island and Kaua'i. The birthday bashes will be annual events, he said.

Lingle had spent a record $5.4 million in the past election — the most any candidate had spent in a Hawai'i governor's race — to become the state's first Republican governor in 40 years.

The Lingle campaign spent about $572,000 during the first six months of this year, including paying back a $173,000 loan taken out last year, as well as a $10,000 loan it took out earlier this year. Both loans were from City Bank.

Awana estimated that about half of the campaign's expenditures — not including the loans — was to pay bills for services provided during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

Other expenditures included about $164,000 on McNally Temple Associates, a Sacramento-based political consulting and public relations firm whose clients include President Bush and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Campaign expenditures also included spending about $47,000 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, nearly $18,000 at the Kauai Marriott Resort, and $10,500 at the Wailea Marriott, where Lingle's birthday bashes were held.

Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, who dropped out of the gubernatorial race months before last year's election, did not receive any contributions this year, according to his campaign spending report.

Since Harris dropped out of the race, a criminal investigation into his 2000 mayoral campaign has widened and resulted in a string of recent arrests, and a contractor pleaded no-contest to funneling money to the Harris campaign.

The Harris campaign did receive from the state $31,735 for attorney fees in a case in which Harris supporter Lex Smith challenged fund-raising limits the Campaign Spending Commission had imposed on Harris during his run for governor.

A federal judge ruled it unconstitutional for the commission to count donations made to Harris' 2000 mayoral re-election campaign toward the $6,000-per-donor limit for last year's governor's race.

The Harris campaign also spent $81,869 during the first six months of the year, including about $69,000 in legal fees and $5,600 in excess contribution repayments to the Hawai'i Election Campaign Fund.

When asked about the future of the Harris campaign, campaign attorney Chris Parsons said: "The committee is inactive. It's not doing anything other than filing reports, and there is no activity."

Harris could not be reached for comment.

In other filings yesterday:

• Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's campaign raised nearly $44,000 in the first six months of the year and had $51,398 on hand as of June 30.

• The Duke Bainum for Mayor Campaign Committee reported having $415,000 cash on hand.

• Former Honolulu City Councilman Mufi Hannemann, who ran for mayor before Harris dropped out of the gubernatorial race, reported having $526,827 on hand.

• Former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who lost the gubernatorial race to Lingle last year, received $7,775 in contributions and about $12,800 in account refunds and interest. Her campaign reported having $102,382 on hand at the end of June.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.