Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann was the guest of honor at a fundraising event Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, an event organized by a major rail consultant.
The campaign stop for Hannemann's gubernatorial bid came in the middle of a city trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss rail.
According to Hannemann's office, Hannemann was to meet with the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday, June 9, in Washington, D.C.
Hannemann even sent a message on Twitter about his meeting with Rep. James Oberstar. But Oberstar's office told KHON2 News the meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 10.
"I do know that the schedule was changed that he was moving with Oberstar today. I'm not sure if he met with anybody yesterday in Washington," said Dean Okimoto, Hannemann Committee 2010 Chair.
What we do know is Hannemann was in Pittsburgh Wednesday attending an event hosted by current and former NFL stars including Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris.
"I'm concerned with the co-mingling and that's what I would describe it as mixing a campaign with city business," said Carroll Cox with Envirowatch.
Officials from the Hannemann Committee 2010 say the trip to Pittsburgh was not paid for by the city.
"From D.C. to Pittsburgh and back to D.C. was funded by the campaign, Hannemann 2010," said Okimoto.
A receipt dated May 3rd supports that.
Sponsorship levels at the event ranged from $500 to $5,000.
"It was put together by some supporters in Pittsburgh so yeah we weren't totally aware of it either," said Okimoto.
The Pittsburgh event was also organized by Paul Overby.
Overby is a leading transit consultant and the former spokesperson and top official with Bombardier, a contender to supply the trains for Honolulu's $5.3 billion rail transit project.
"We didn't know that, we haven't tracked it that far yet," said Okimoto.
"When people outside of Hawaii are doing these things, you know, sometimes these things fall through the cracks," said Okimoto.
Hannemann is now in Oklahoma City for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Both gubernatorial candidates Neil Abercrombie and Duke Aiona declined to comment on our report.
City response
Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann’s spokesman said the mayor has been working on city business throughout this trip, and that the side journey to Pittsburgh was paid by campaign funds, and on the mayor's personal time."Everything the mayor does is above board,” said the mayor’s spokesman Bill Brennan. “He makes it a point with all of us who work for him to keep city business separate from campaign business. That’s why on itinerary I had for him it showed his D.C. meeting and Oklahoma trip, but the Pittsburgh part which is campaign related was not on my itinerary and it shouldn't be."
Brennan says the confusion over the meeting with Representative Oberstar stemmed from a mistake on the mayor's schedule put out by the city.
That meeting actually happened on Thursday. The Mayor also met with Senator Dan Inouye and Representative Mazie Hirono to discuss rail issues.
