Veteran lawmaker Romy Cachola is agreeing to negotiate a settlement with the state Campaign Spending Commission involving charges that he misused political contributions for personal use.

Campaign Spending officials and Michael Green, Cachola’s attorney, told commission members they expect to have a settlement agreement for them to approve by their July meeting. The commission agreed to defer the matter as a consequence.

Commission staff had previously recommended that Cachola pay nearly $70,000 in reimbursements and fines for using his campaign funds to pay for the purchase and maintenance of an SUV, meals and public relations efforts that may not have been campaign-related.

Cachola, a Democrat, represents state House District 30, which includes Sand Island, Kalihi and the airport area. He also served on the Honolulu City Council from 2004 to 2012.

"The important thing is … the people of this community know that justice was done and that their representatives are held to a certain level of responsibility, and I agree with that," Green told commission members. Initial discussions have been "very, very reasonable," he said.

Kristin Izumi-Nitao, commission executive director, said the records sought from Cachola’s campaign have been coming in "scattered and not complete," which could lead to either a lengthy investigation or her staff recommending full reimbursement when it’s fair to assume at least some of the questionable expenditures were campaign-related. A negotiated settlement, therefore, "may be a fairer resolution to this," she told commission members.

After the meeting, Green acknowledged Cachola’s campaign is guilty of bad record-keeping.

"There are certain records that have to be maintained, and if they’re not, that’s a problem and we have to deal with it," said Green — "whether or not there are certain allowances he’s entitled to for campaign use that we’re in discussions with, whether he’s entitled to a write-off for certain things, what percentage of the automobile was used for campaign-related things."

"There is more gray here than there is black and white, and the black and white we’ve accepted responsibility for."

Green noted that Cachola has already reimbursed his campaign $14,500.

The city Ethics Commission is separately investigating Cachola. The lawmaker, his attorneys and commission staff have declined to discuss the matter.