Tanonaka faces federal complaint

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Democrats in Hawai'i and Washington, D.C., raised questions yesterday about loans that Dalton Tanonaka made this year to his Republican campaign for Congress.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which campaigns and helps raise money for Democrats, filed a complaint against Tanonaka with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Tanonaka did not have the financial means to loan his campaign $69,000. Tanonaka is running against U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i.

Tanonaka called the complaint a partisan attack by supporters of his opponent. "The complaint is baseless," he said.

Mike Masuda, Tanonaka's campaign treasurer, told reporters that the money for the loans came from Tanonaka's personal checking account. "It was all personal money. No question," he said.

Last week, the state Campaign Spending Commission referred a separate complaint to the city prosecutor regarding whether Tanonaka hid outside loans to his unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2002. Tanonaka has also denied that complaint, which was filed by his former campaign manager.

"It is part of what seems to be a systematic pattern," said Brickwood Galuteria, chairman of the Hawai'i Democratic Party.

The federal complaint claims that Tanonaka's financial resources, as reported in a federal disclosure statement, do not seem sufficient to cover $69,000 in loans. Tanonaka said he has earned enough money as a business consultant since he filed the disclosure statement to cover the loans.

Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.