Abercrombie campaign to pay filing fine
Former Congressman Neil Abercrombie’s campaign for governor will pay a $50 fine for filing notice for an April fundraiser in Washington, D.C., several hours late.
Candidates are required by state law to file notice in advance of fundraisers with the state Campaign Spending Commission. Violators have typically paid a $50 fine.
Laurie Au, a spokeswoman for the Abercrombie campaign, announced Tuesday night that the campaign would pay the fine.
Message-wise, the timing is unfortunate for Abercrombie.
Abercrombie and his allies have been critical of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s campaign for the handling of a fundraiser in Pittsburgh earlier this month. The Hannemann campaign apparently filed notice late by listing the incorrect date for the event.
Hannemann has said he would not accept any donations from the Pittsburgh fundraiser to avoid any cloud over the rest of his mainland trip, which involved stops in Washington, D.C., related to the city’s rail project and in Oklahoma for a U.S. Conference of Mayors event.
Although other issues have been raised about the Hannemann fundraiser, unless they pan out after investigation, the Hannemann campaign might only have to pay a $50 fine like Abercrombie’s.