The presumably dormant re-election campaign for the late U.S. Rep. Mark Takai has paid out close to $5,000 over the past year to purchase data from a Washington, D.C.-based campaign software vendor that tracks voter information.
The campaign’s finances are handled by its treasurer, Dylan Beesley, a Honolulu-based consultant who is now the campaign manager for Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who is running for Takai’s old congressional seat. Beesley’s dual role has raised concerns about a potential conflict and perceived double-dipping.
Takai died in July 2016 of pancreatic cancer. Since his death, the Mark Takai for Congress campaign has made four payments — one as recently as December — totaling $4,800 to software firm NGP Van Inc., according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Beesley did not respond to multiple requests from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for comment about the payments, which, as campaign treasurer, he would have authorized.
NGP Van is described on its website as the leading technology provider for Democratic candidates and fundraisers. It keeps lists of Democratic donors and registered voters by districts and precincts, including contact information — mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses — and voter behavior.
The descriptions of the payments to NGP Van are listed simply as “database” and “database fee,” including a $1,650 payment in December 2016, another $1,650 payment in February 2017, a $1,350 payment in April 2017 and a $150 charge in December.
Political observers — including candidates running for Congress against Chin — question whether Beesley used Takai’s campaign funds to buy voter information to benefit other clients.
“It’s concerning because you have to question, what are you using the database for if not for campaigning? Usually someone would use a resource like that if you want to do a mailing list, if you want to do door-to-door campaigning, phone banking, email blasts,” said state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who is also running for Takai’s former U.S. House seat representing urban Honolulu.
“It also raises concerns that as a consultant with clients, other political-type clients, then would this information that’s been purchased by the Takai campaign be utilized for another campaign?” said Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa). “Certainly there are FEC regulations about that — that any campaign benefiting would have to reimburse or pay for such resources.”
State Rep. Kaniela Ing, another candidate in the congressional race, said the spending raises ethical concerns.
“You have to wonder, is Beesley using that data that he was trusted with for the Takai campaign for his new candidate, Doug Chin?” said Ing (D, South Maui). “There’s a charge that looks like a data grab, which should be investigated, because if he’s trying to pull data from Takai’s campaign and he’s using any of that for this other campaign, that’s a real serious concern.”
Ing said his campaign supporters overlap with people who previously donated to Takai’s campaign.
“I think there’s a concern that their support for Takai is going elsewhere, to a candidate that they’re not supporting,” Ing said. “This isn’t about dragging anyone through the mud. I just want this to be a fair race. We want everything to be aboveboard so that we can focus on the issues.”
Complaint filed
Expenses out of Takai’s campaign have been questioned before.
The Star-Advertiser reported last month that in the 18 months since the congressman’s death, Takai’s campaign has issued 16 payments totaling just under $104,000 to Beesley’s consulting firm, Lanakila Strategies, for consulting services.
Takai’s campaign collected $1.1 million in contributions for his 2016 re-election bid and reported $309,000 in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, the most recent filings show.
Under federal campaign finance laws, campaign expenses must be directly tied to a candidate’s campaign. The Federal Election Campaign Act does allow for campaign funds to be used for noncampaign purposes in some cases, including “winding-down costs of a federal officeholder’s office for a period of six months after leaving office.”
Attorneys for the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit campaign finance watchdog, have since asked the FEC to investigate the consulting payments to Beesley in a formal complaint filed last month.
“Despite the fact that (FEC) regulations anticipate a six-month winding-down period, almost 18 months after Takai’s passing, there are few disbursements that would suggest the committee is winding down,” the Campaign Legal Center said in its 13-page complaint. “These facts suggest that Beesley is not doing much of anything to justify earning $5,759.16 per month.”
On the same day the FEC complaint was filed, the family of the late congressman endorsed Beesley’s actions for the first time, saying in a statement that he was retained “to help manage the campaign’s affairs” and set up a foundation in Takai’s name to benefit education and military causes.
The Mark Takai Foundation was registered Jan. 11 with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, according to business registration records — a day after the Star-Advertiser began asking about Beesley’s monthly consulting payments. Takai’s father-in-law, Gary Kai, whose name is listed on the foundation’s registration documents, did not respond to requests for comment on how the NGP Van database charges were related to the campaign or launching the foundation.
Meanwhile, Chin, who stepped down earlier this month as the state’s attorney general to fill in as lieutenant governor after Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui abruptly resigned, has defended Beesley throughout the controversy.
“I feel like from the start, the Takai campaign leadership and the Takai family has supported Dylan and his actions with that committee,” Chin said in an interview shortly after being sworn in as lieutenant governor. “To me, it’s a situation where the people who would be complaining are not complaining. And the only people who are raising an issue are political opponents.”
