In plain words: Who gives political money here, and who receives it.
12 Stones Global · Kilo Aupuni · money behind officials

The Money Behind Honolulu's Officials

Campaign contributions to each tracked official, from the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission public record, with real-estate / development donors flagged and recusals attached.

All figures are public record (CSC dataset jexd-xbcg). Contributions are lawful. The point is the map: who funds whom, and whether votes track the money. Every claim here is a question for reporting and verification — not an allegation against any donor or official.

Where the money is focused

$8,558,714
total tracked · 10 officials
$1,085,120
real-estate / development
13%
of all money is land / dev
6%
out-of-state (avg)
12
donors funding 2+ officials
20
donors who are county vendors

Sector concentration — the land & development tilt

In a land-, tourism- and development-driven jurisdiction, the dollars closest to power are the dollars closest to land use, permits and zoning. This is how much of all tracked money carries a real-estate / development signature.

⬤ real-estate / development · $1,085,120 (13%)⬤ all other sectors · $7,473,593

The influence web — donors funding multiple decision-makers

Contributors who appear in the top donors of more than one tracked official. Giving broadly is lawful; the map asks who is buying a relationship with the whole body, not one seat.

$31,200Hawaii Laborers Political Action Committee → 4 officials (Cordero, Nishimoto, Waters, Weyer)
$28,000Kobayashi, Patrick → 3 officials (Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam, Tupola)
$28,000Park Hotels and Resorts → 4 officials (Kiaaina, Tulba, Waters, Weyer)
$23,000Hiyakumoto, Greg → 4 officials (Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam, Kiaaina, Weyer)
$22,361Camp, Christine → 3 officials (Dos Santos-Tam, Okimoto, Weyer)
$22,000Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters → 2 officials (Kiaaina, Weyer)
$20,000Plumbers & Pipefitters PAC Fund → 3 officials (Cordero, Nishimoto, Tulba)
$19,900Hawaii Carpenters Political Action Fund → 2 officials (Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam)
$16,033Pakkala, Alana → 2 officials (Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam)
$16,000Baldwin, Robert → 2 officials (Dos Santos-Tam, Weyer)
$16,000Kosasa, Thomas → 2 officials (Okimoto, Waters)
$15,000Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry → 2 officials (Kiaaina, Nishimoto)

Donors who also hold county contracts

$180,246,090 in Honolulu contract awards went to firms — or their named principals — who also gave $242,124 to these officials. Both are lawful; the public question is whether the contracts track the giving. full contracts × donors join →

$79,998,204NAN, INC. · county contracts — also gave $39,000 to Blangiardi, Cordero, Kiaaina, Nishimoto, Tulba, Tupola, Waters
$23,405,600RALPH S. INOUYE CO., LTD. · county contracts — also gave $1,000 to Nishimoto
$23,353,877PAUL'S ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING LLC · county contracts — also gave $100,874 to Blangiardi, Cordero, Dos Santos-Tam, Kiaaina, Nishimoto, Okimoto, Tulba, Tupola, Waters, Weyer
$19,533,148PROMETHEUS CONSTRUCTION · county contracts — also gave $4,000 to Kiaaina
$12,271,212FIRST HAWAIIAN BANK · county contracts — also gave $1,300 to Nishimoto
$5,039,603JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. · county contracts — also gave $2,500 to Nishimoto, Waters
$3,499,968PETERSON BROS. CONSTRUCTION, INC. · county contracts — also gave $1,400 to Tupola
$3,309,207HAWAII TRUCK PARTS, SALES AND SERVICES, LLC · county contracts — also gave $2,000 to Tupola

Per official — sorted by real-estate-sector money

Rick Blangiardi - Honolulu Mayor
$3,742,786 raised · 2079 gifts · $505,383 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 4% out-of-state · full profile →
Tommy Waters - Honolulu Council Chair (D4)
$1,032,769 raised · 954 gifts · $153,025 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 4% out-of-state · full profile →
Andria Tupola - Honolulu Council D1 (Vice Chair)
$1,146,356 raised · 2185 gifts · $136,124 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 2% out-of-state · full profile →
Tyler Dos Santos-Tam - Honolulu Council D6
$612,641 raised · 769 gifts · $78,399 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 9% out-of-state · full profile →
Val Okimoto - Honolulu Council D8
$355,916 raised · 439 gifts · $47,961 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 6% out-of-state · full profile →
Esther Kiaaina - Honolulu Council D3 (Floor Leader)
$365,528 raised · 456 gifts · $43,553 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 13% out-of-state · full profile →
Scott Nishimoto - Honolulu Council D5
$489,652 raised · 808 gifts · $35,750 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 13% out-of-state · full profile →
Matt Weyer - Honolulu Council D2
$253,423 raised · 303 gifts · $33,925 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 5% out-of-state · full profile →
Radiant Cordero - Honolulu Council D7
$319,277 raised · 355 gifts · $28,650 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 3% out-of-state · full profile →
Augie Tulba - Honolulu Council D9
$240,365 raised · 314 gifts · $22,350 real-estate · 0 recusal(s) · 3% out-of-state · full profile →
🌺 ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi here is offered with humility and held under community review with ʻŌiwi resources at Maui County. See the glossary →