GOP squabbles Republican state Rep. Bob McDermott attempted to file a state campaign spending complaint last week against Micah Kane, Hawaii Republican Party executive director, for alleged fund raising at a caucus meeting last Dec. 20 at the state Capitol.
over fund raising
At issue is whether party funds
were solicited at the CapitolBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comKane has denied soliciting GOP legislators at that meeting, while House Republicans believe McDermott is misinformed about what occurred.
"If there's anything that we do, we make sure we follow the law, and that's just the way we function," Kane said yesterday.
McDermott (R, Foster Village) confirmed he tried to file the complaint with the spending commission but was told there no violations occurred because Kane is not a state official and not bound by campaign spending rules.
But in a Jan. 17 statement prepared as part of the complaint and obtained by the Star-Bulletin, McDermott wrote that each elected official was told by Kane during the meeting they were expected to buy a $1,000 table at the upcoming Lincoln Day dinner, an annual party fund-raiser set for Feb. 7 in Waikiki.
Despite objections by members that this discussion not take place at the Capitol, the meeting continued. McDermott said Kane put Republican lawmakers at risk by soliciting the tickets. He also felt members were being "extorted and strong-armed" to comply with the party's wishes.
"Mr. Kane put all GOP officeholders at risk by soliciting campaign funds in the state Capitol and bringing the Republican Party's fund-raising activity into a building that belongs to all Hawaii's people," McDermott said. "Therefore, I feel it is my duty to report this illegal and unethical activity."
Kane said he attended the Dec. 20 caucus meeting to brief Republican legislators on a recent advisory opinion that changes the way campaigns can deal with nonprofit groups, and even called the commission to let it know he was doing so.
He said McDermott did not attend that meeting.
"The fact that I used our Lincoln Day dinner as an example maybe led he or his staff to believe that funds was being discussed," Kane said.
House Minority Leader Galen Fox (R, Waikiki) as well as Republican state Reps. Mark Moses (R, Kapolei) and Chris Halford (R, Makena-Kihei) were surprised to hear of McDermott's actions. They believe it is a simple misunderstanding on his part.
They said yesterday that Kane never made such a pitch to the caucus and that members were not required to each buy a table to the dinner. They, too, believe McDermott was not at the meeting.
Fox said the confusion may have started when the Lincoln Day dinner was erroneously placed on the caucus agenda for that meeting. Moses recalled he and others objected to talking about the dinner at the caucus, and it was agreed not to discuss it.
Rep. Joe Gomes (R, Waimanalo) said he has been urging colleagues to buy tickets to the dinner, but those discussions did not take place during the caucus meeting.