An article in Civil Beat several days ago painted the M Nightclub in Honolulu’s Restaurant Row at Waterfront Plaza, partly-owned and managed by accused organized crime figure Michael Miske, as “a popular place for political fundraisers.”
The article detailed four campaign fundraising events held at the M Nightclub and its successor, Encore, between 2013 and 2017, including one held by David Ige in November 2013 during his first run for governor.
Records from the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission show that in addition to Ige, Kim, Ozawa, state senators Gil Riviere, Maile Shimabukuro and Breene Harimoto, who died of cancer this summer, and state Rep. Daniel Holt held fundraisers at Miske’s M Nightclub between 2012 and 2015.
Kim, Riviere, Shimabukuro, and Harimoto held a joint fundraiser at Miske’s M Nightclub on May 5, 2015,
The fundraising reports also show Honolulu City Councilman Brandon Elefante’s campaign held a fundraiser at the nightclub in 2017, although by then the name had been changed to Encore at the Row.
But it turns out there were a few more.
Civil Beat drew its data from the notices candidate committees have to file with the Campaign Spending Commission in advance of a fundraising event. These notices include the date, time, and admission price or suggested contribution, along with the address and location of the event. The commission, in turn, makes these notices available either as PDF copies or in a database for download.
Candidates are also required to separately report expenditures made by their campaigns. When I cross-checked these reports with the fundraiser notices, several additional campaign events were apparently held at the nightclub.
Candidates reported writing checks to Miske’s M nightclub, as well as to Leverage Entertainment, its parent company. State business registration records show Miske was one of three named partners in Leverage Entertainment.
In March 2011, then-Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro paid $3,190.80 to Leverage Entertainment, Inc., the company that operated M Nightclub, for a fundraising event. Although the vendor was identified as Leverage Entertainment, at least one published report indicated the event was actually held at Oceans rather than M Nightclub, which was just opening at that time.
Another candidate for prosecutor, Kevin Takata, spent $2,800 for a campaign event at M Nightclub, split into two payments made in August and September 2012.
In June 2012, mayoral candidate and former city prosecutor Peter Carlisle reported spending $7,043.11 on an event held at the club.
Only one candidate, Senator Donna Kim, held more than a single fundraiser at M Nightclub. Campaign expenditure reports indicated she held campaign events there April 2012 and again in April 2013, in addition to the joint fundraiser in 2015 reported by Civil Beat.
These records show Miske’s M Nightclub was used somewhat more frequently than Civil Beat reported. However, it was far from the busiest or most popular venue.
During the same time period, there were 24 political fundraisers held just steps away at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, also located at Restaurant Row.
But the most popular campaign fundraising venue, by far, is the Mandalay Restaurant on Alakea Street in downtown, which was the site of 140 campaign fundraisers during the same period from 2012-2017.
Other popular venues during the period were the private Pacific Club just above the heart of downtown (41 events), Cafe Julia at the Richards Street YWCA (26), Plaza Club (25), Jade Dynasty (23), 3660 on the Rise in Kaimuki (20), Oahu Country Club and the Hukilau restaurant in downtown Honolulu’s Executive Centre Hotel (both with 19), and Waialae Country Club (15).