The father-in-law of a Republican State Senate candidate is an officer of a supposedly “independent” political action committee that targeted his Democratic opponent with a sharply negative attack ad mailed to voters.
Earle Kealoha is registered as the treasurer of Hawaii Solutions, a little-known Republican political action committee that sent out a flyer attacking Democrat Gil Riviere, who is running against Republican Rep. Richard Fale for the District 23 Senate seat vacated by Clayton Hee.
Kealoha’s daughter, Erin Kealoha Fale, is candidate Fale’s wife. Erin Kealoha Fale is an account executive with Communications Pacific, and served as vice-president of the Hawaii for Romney campaign in 2012.
Hawaii Solutions also mailed separate flyers attacking Kent Fonoimoana, the Democrat running for the District 47 House seat vacated by Fale, and former Democratic representative Tommy Waters, now a candidate for the nonpartisan Honolulu City Council.
Civil Beat’s Sophie Cocke reported earlier this week that Hawaii Solutions’ registered officers both deny any knowledge of the campaign mailers, including how or by whom they were prepared. Just who is really behind the group remains a mystery, Cocke reported.
Hawaii Solutions is registered as an “independent expenditure committee,” or “Super PAC,” which means is not bound by the state’s limits on campaign contributions. As long as it acts independently and does not coordinate its activities with the campaigns of the candidates it seeks to benefit, it can accept unlimited campaign contributions and spend as much as it wants to support or oppose candidates.
But the group’s family ties to Republican Richard Fale and his wife, who has been active in Republic politics, could potentially undermine its claimed independence.
Civil Beat’s Sophie Cocke reported earlier this week on the background of Hawaii Solutions, which was set up in 2011 by a former director of the state Republican Party (“The Case of the Mysterious Attack Ads: Tommy Waters Called a ‘Carpetbagger’“).
The two officers of Hawaii Solutions, identified in the group’s organizational report filed with the Campaign Spending Commission, both denied knowing anything about how the flyers were produced and mailed, according to Cocke’s story.
Jose Perez, who is listed as chairperson of Hawaii Solutions on documents filed with the campaign spending commission, also said he didn’t know anything about the ads. But perhaps more surprising, Perez said he wasn’t the committee’s chairperson and wasn’t familiar with Hawaii Solutions.
“I don’t know exactly what that is,” he told Civil Beat. “I don’t know exactly what you are talking about.”
And Earle Kealoha, its treasurer, also denied knowledge of the flyers, saying simply: ““I just write the checks.”
Hawaii Solutions had just $4,108.03 in the bank on the day of the primary election, August 9, and had unpaid bills of $1,203.53, according to its most recent report to the Campaign Spending Commission. It reported raising only $401.30 since the beginning of the year.
The next campaign spending disclosure reports are due to be filed on Monday, October 27, which should include anything spent by Hawaii Solutions to prepare and mail these attack ads.
If the amounts spent exceed the contribution limits applicable to each race, this could pose problems and bring an investigation into whether the family linkage to Fale’s campaign resulted in impermissible coordination between the campaign and Hawaii Solutions’ “independent” negative advertising.
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Just shows how ridiculous the current state of campaign finance law is. I really can’t blame the guy for trying to help his family within the law. Family dinners must be tough when they can’t talk about what they are doing all day for their independent campaigns. They probably did break the law, even if they tried not to.
I liked that Gil came door to door. Overshadowed that stupid flyer indicating to me just how threatened that campaign must feel.
I would beg to differ with the characterization that Aaron portrays of the maneuvering taking place between Hawaii Solutions and the political campaigns mentioned here. This isn’t a case of a naive man unwittingly violating campaign laws in a misguided attempt to help out his in-law. Mailing out nasty fliers and using a PAC to veil the source of the attacks is dirty politics, plain and simple. The Campaign Spending Commission needs to conduct an investigation into the activities of Hawaii Solutions and to expose who is calling the shots there. The public has the right to know the identity of the person(s) responsible for those fliers.
The Fale campaign is desperate.
The facts in this dirty campaign incident are abundantly clear.
And candidate Fale’s responsibility for dirty campaign tactics is also clear. Fale’s silence speaks for itself. Fale’s father-in-law’s statements to the press are ridiculous.
May there be a full scale investigation after today’s filings become a part of the public record.
To claim ignorance, shows their lack of responsibility for making such accusation. There’s always trail that follows a story. To now say everyone in power positions have no knowledge of what they’re company is doing before printing, will only raise more questions of who and why? Instincts call for an investigation, if they’re going to be stupid.
Fale is an irrational and emotionally charged man who is NOT FROM HAWAII NEI kanakas. He came to my house and try tell me he grew up here throwing around red raider nation like he went there. He did not. He is not from here. He does not have local people’s interests in his heart. He wants to do whats best by him, and himself only. He straight lied to me about where he was from, about what he has done, and told me his opponent was attacking him and a hot head. Look in the mirror brah. I wasn’t going to vote because I am a Republican, but now I HAVE to vote for the other guy Gill. No way this lying manipulative just plain ignorant guy gunna be my senator. Disgusting.
Funny coincidence that the wife of the Senate candidate Fale (daughter of the Treasurer of “Hawaii Solutions”) works for Communications Pacific. This is the same Communications Pacific (formerly owned by, and named Hill and Knowlton) that worked for the LDS in the efforts to defeat same-sex marriage in Hawaii in the late 1990s. I wonder if there are any current connections between Communications Pacific and the LDS (or HRI) or if there may be possible additional linkages between Communications Pacific and the Senate candidate (and or “Hawaii Solutions”).
Fale has made so many false claims, where do I begin?! Original sin was that he had anything to do with saving Ka’a’awa School from closing. He got himself appointed to the Task Force as a committee head first meeting, then did ZERO. Members tried to contact him for months. Ilind.net had a blog on it back then about it that summarizes this. LDS members were bussed, fed, etc., to vote in the Romney election loss; Fale won on his coat tails. He falsely claimed Ka’a’awa School’s survival had anything positive to do with him, this to get himself elected in District 47. He was detrimental; a missing in action Chairperson. Now he is taking credit for a whole lists of accomplishments in his ads…more of same. After missing the Capitol hearing on the Turtle Bay Conservation Easement , ( the biggest event in Ko’olauLoa history this century probably and in his House District 47 ), Fale claimed it would cost ‘over $100+ million dollars… $60+million dollars off at the Neighborhood Board meeting the next night! He was not present Representing we constituents, nor our Public Advisory Committee’s 2009 Revision of the Ko’olauLoa Sustainable Communities Plan (two years of work done by all stakeholders which resulted in Turtle Bay resort able to expand within its existing footprint and being in a special management area). His claim of over $100 million asked for the Conservation Easement was corrected by myself ( I WAS present at the day before proceedings at the Capitol), and by the Chair of the Neighborhood Board checking her smart phone…He was fuming and belligerently accosted me as I tried to leave the meeting at its conclusion. He blocked my exit, ( I use a walker), and he was sticking his arms and hands in my face as he threatened me; demanding I should apologize to him (for his error!) I have been told that I should press charges… Two Board members had to come call him off before I could leave. This bully does not represent the majority population of 13 affected communities who have made formal Resolutions Opposing Bill 47(2013) – the revised DPP/ developers plans for urban sprawl at Malaekahana on ag land of Gunstock Ranch and the expansion Turtle Bay resort- at their Neighborhood Boards.Mililani/ Waipio/Helemanu/North Shore/ Kahalu’u/Kailua and Manoa, plus Waiahole/Waikane/Ka’a’awa/Kahana/Punalu’u/Hau’ula/Kawela Bay and Sunset Beach Community Associations. He represents the decidedly un-neighborly interests of the LDS/HRI (recent Gunstock Ranch purchasers) against the will of all these other affected people’s Resolutions, and should be voted out. Other islandwide residents who are property owners in the District plus the world- class destination,the ‘fabled’ North Shore and Ko’olauLoa’s irreplaceable coastline from Kawela Bay and Turtle Bay to Kahuku Point need protection from the massive overdevelopment, and urban sprawl he promotes. It is unacceptable behavior all around . Now we have the shibai of this family ‘funny-money PAC’ attempting to smear two non-LDS candidates that I know of… one is his opposing candidate Gil Riviere.
Gil Riviere is the proven, effective, rational people’s leader who should be elected. He has proven himself ‘true blue’ to all the communities from Waialua to Kahalu’u, showing up to do beach clean- ups in Ka’a’awa, to Community Association and NB meetings, at the Capitol on issues affecting us frequently though not in office even!
VOTE FOR Gil Riviere.
Send your Opposition to Bill 47 (2013) to: emartin@honolulu.gov to keep the bullies from forcing urban sprawl and double the population onto the same two lane eroding- into the- sea Kamehameha Highway from Haleiwa to Kahalu’u voters please!
Mahalo for this investigative journalism Ian, etc.
p.s. At no time did the PAC’s 2009 Plan Revision for the Ko’olau Loa SCP include the LDS/HRI development. The Oahu General Plan, the PAC2009 SCP Revision, ( which still could be passed by City Council as was the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan), includes NO development on Gunstock Ranch! People do not want a new city in this rural, agricultural designated area.
Re: Fale the bully. Fale had to be called “out of order” at a recent North Shore Neighborhood Board meeting by the Chairwoman after he refused to stop speaking after he exceeded his time limit and he would not give up the microphone after the Chairpson requested that he finish. The next step would have been for the Chairwoman to notify HPD if he continued to disrupt the orderly conduct of the official meeting. After being called out of order he walked menacingly toward the Chairwoman and then finally returned to his seat. Very bizarre behavior for an elected official.
It is a sad state of affairs as well as an indication of character when folks like Richard Fale and Feki Pouha have to hide behind secretive Political Action Committees to do their dirty work. We need genuine leadership -not desperate men who mislead the citizens. Both of these men rely on uninformed voters and lies to further their careers. This election is about the development at Gunstock Ranch and Turtle Bay. Both men are privately telling folks that they are opposed to big development projects. Following the money trail reveals the truth. We cannot afford to have these two liars represent us in District 47.
Unfortunately the fuel behind Fale’s fire is his wife. What goes around will come around and the 2 of them should know better. Erin is Fale’s downfall. I have said it once and I will say it again – he will fail because of her. Obviously like father like daughter.
Have some class Fale and your associates. If the only way you think you can win is by groveling in the dirt then you deserve what you will get. Trust me it will come and bite you back. Karma sucks. Kent thank you for showing us what it means to have some class.