Hotel industry campaign contributions to Honolulu leaders

They say you’re known by the company you keep, and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s company says it all.

While signing a bill to limit home sharing and ban most vacation rentals, he was flanked by hotel industry players, further proof Bill 89 was about caving to the interests of the hotel lobby.

Together, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Councilmember Ikaika Anderson and Councilmember Ron Menor have accepted $52,900 from the hotels, hotel industry lobbyists and hotel worker unions represented at the bill signing, according to public records.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell signs restrictive home sharing Bill 89. From left: Councilmember Ikaika Anderson, Councilmember Ron Menor, Jerry Gibson, VP, Turtle Bay Resorts, Mayor Caldwell, Ivan Liu-Kwan, registered lobbyist for Hilton Worldwide, Turtle Bay Resort, Park Hotels and Resorts, Joli Tokusato, representative, Unite Here Hawaii, Kekoa McClellan, lobbyist, AHLA.

Campaign contributions

Campaign donations to Mayor Caldwell, Councilmember Ikaika and Councilmember Menor from attendees of press conference and/or the entities they represent or are employed by.

Source: Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, Accessed 06/27/19
Mayor Kirk Caldwell
Campaign Donors
Entity & Employees Contributions Time Period Amount
Park Hotels and Resorts 2018 $4,000
HOTELPAC (AH&LA’s PAC) 2012 $500
Unite Here Local 5 2007 $200
Turtle Bay Resort & its Employees 2012-2017 $4,500
Hilton Worldwide & its Employees 2010-2016 $21,000
Marriott International & its Employees 2014 $8,000
Ivan M. Lui-Kwan, registered lobbyist for Hilton Worldwide, Turtle Bay Resort, Park Hotels and Resorts 2008-2016 $2,750
Total $40,950
Source: Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, Accessed 06/27/19
Councilmember Ron Menor Campaign Donors
Entity & Employees Contributions Time Period Amount
Park Hotels and Resorts 2018 $4,000
Unite Here Local 5 2016 $2,000
Total $6,000
Source: Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, Accessed 06/27/19
Councilmember Ikaika Anderson Campaign Donors
Entity & Employees Contributions Time Period Amount
Park Hotels and Resorts 2018 $4,000
Hilton Worldwide 2013 $1,000
HotelPAC 2011-2016 $450
Ivan M. Lui-Kwan, registered lobbyist for Hilton Worldwide, Turtle Bay Resort, Park Hotels and Resorts 2016 $500
Total $5,950