HONOLULU — A state commission is poised to decide whether Rep. Neil Abercrombie can transfer nearly $962,000 from his U.S. House campaign treasury to his state gubernatorial campaign account.

The Campaign Spending Commission will meet Thursday. Its staff in February determined that state law barred federal officeholders from shifting funds to a state campaign.
But the longtime Democratic House member asked the panel itself to decide the matter.
The money would boost Abercrombie’s war chest over that of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who also may seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
Hannemann’s treasury held almost $660,000 as of Dec. 31. State law allows him to use money given to his mayoral re-election campaign for a gubernatorial race.