Editor鈥檚 Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported how much money the Hawaii Community Foundation spent on lobbying from Jan. 1, 2013 to Feb. 29, 2016 due to the nonprofit mistakenly including more expenses than necessary in its filings with the Hawaii Ethics Commission. The mistakes resulted in the Hawaii Community Foundation being listed as one of the state鈥檚 top lobbying organizations. A spokesperson for the nonprofit says it has since submitted accurate numbers to the state ethics commission. The article has been updated to reflect the change.

Alexander & Baldwin and its employees, including those working at subsidiaries, have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to political candidates in Hawaii over the past several election cycles, a Civil Beat analysis of state campaign spending data shows.

The data shows that from聽Nov. 8, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2015, A&B, its board and its top executives have given more than $600,000 to political candidates running for state and local office, from county council to governor.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, who is running for re-election in 2016, has been the biggest beneficiary, taking in more than $80,000. That鈥檚 more than twice what former Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie and former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann each received from A&B while politicking in the Aloha State. Abercrombie and Hannemann were the next biggest beneficiaries, each getting about $34,000 from the A&B contingent.

The longtime real estate developer聽and聽agriculture business has been in the news recently in connection with water rights that are the subject of which would extend water leases for companies around the state. A&B’s off-and-on inclusion in the bill is seen by critics as a way around a recent court ruling that found the company鈥檚 diversion of East Maui streams for commercial agriculture in Central Maui was illegal.

A&B President聽and CEO Chris Benjamin was flanked by legislative leaders at a Capitol news conference this week when he said his company would permanently restore as many as eight streams for taro farms.

Much of the money donated to candidates goes through A&B鈥檚 political action committee, which, the data shows, has given out $275,575 in contributions to candidates from Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2015. That makes A&B鈥檚 PAC one of the most active in the state, although far from the top of the list.

Political Action Committee Amount Donated to Candidates
Realtors Political Action Committee of Hawaii $688,825
ActBlue Hawaii $591,105
Hawaii Ironworkers Stabilization Fund PAC $490,094
Hawaii Carpenters Political Action Fund $476,970
Plumbers & Pipefitters Political Action Committee $438,050
ILWU Hawaii Political Action Committee $352,450
HSTA Government Relations Committee $344,360
Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust $301,700
Alexander & Baldwin Inc. HiPAC $275,575
Hawaii Government Employees Association $267,897
Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund $259,900
Local Union 1186 IBEW PAC Fund $251,525
Hawaii Laborers’ Political Action Committee $245,325
Committee on Political Education-General Fund & Political Contributions $197,398
Painters Local Union 1791 PAC $187,398
Local Union 293 State Legislature Fund $180,000
United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646 AFL-CIO, PAC $166,656
American Resort Development Association Resort Owners Coalition PAC (ARDA ROC-PAC) $157,632
Local #1 – Political Action Committee $152,575
Monsanto Company $149,000

But A&B’s and have donated a significant amount in their own right, donating nearly $324,000 to candidates from聽Nov. 8, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2015.

The top donors by far among A&B鈥檚 elite are executive chairman Stanley Kuriyama and David Hulihee, who is the president and CEO of Grace Pacific, which was acquired by the company in October 2013. Records show that Kuriyama gave at least $111,150 to state and local candidates from Nov. 8, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2015 while Hulihee gave at least $72,250.

Alexander & Baldwin also spent nearly $51,000 on lobbying from Jan.1, 2013, to Feb. 29, 2016, according to data from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission. The company鈥檚 lobbyists are Paul Oshiro and Meredith Ching.

The amount A&B spends on lobbying puts the company in the top 100 in the state, but pales in comparison to heavy hitters like the the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Altria Client Services (a parent company of tobacco giant Philip Morris) and Corrections Corporation of America, all of which have spent more than half a million dollars each trying to sway state lawmakers.

Organization Total Lobbying Expenses
Hawaii Children’s Action Network SPEAKS $891,212
Altria Client Services LLC $631,820
Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) $631,386
Equality Hawaii $617,078
Corrections Corporation of America $535,993
Turtle Bay Resort $525,405
American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii $367,511
Hawaii Medical Service Association $334,037
United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO $291,323
Outrigger Enterprises Group $281,527
Queen’s Health Systems $260,936
AARP Hawaii $246,958
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative $241,077
VISA $237,754

Large sums of A&B money goes to candidates running for governor, mayor and county council, particularly in Honolulu and on Maui, where candidates have received $62,800 and $67,700, respectively for their races.

The data shows legislative candidates have received at least $148,125 from A&B and its affiliates from聽Nov. 8, 2006, through Dec. 31,2015. Senate candidates received at least $71,800 flowing in to their campaign accounts. House candidates received at least $76,325.

State Senate Candidate A&B Contributions
Kim, Donna $10,350
Dela Cruz, Donovan $8,900
Galuteria, Brickwood $8,500
Baker, Rosalyn $6,800
Kouchi, Ron $6,000
Chang, Stanley $5,500
English, Kalani $3,400
Keith-Agaran, Gilbert $2,400
Takamine, Dwight $2,400
Nishihara, Clarence $1,650
Kahele, Gilbert $1,600
Hanabusa, Colleen $1,500
Taniguchi, Brian $1,500
Solomon, Malama $1,350
Tokuda, Jill $1,200
Herkes, Robert $1,100
Wakai, Glenn $1,050
Garcia, Nestor $1,000
Gabbard, Mike $900
Espero, William $850
Kidani, Michelle $850
Cabanilla, Rida $650
Ihara, Les $550
Inouye, Lorraine $500
Shimabukuro, Maile $500
Ruderman, Russell $250
Meyer, Colleen $200
Sonson, Alex $200
Chun Oakland, Suzanne $150
State House Candidate A&B Contributions
Souki, Joseph $5,350
Kawakami, Derek $5,200
Tokioka, James $4,900
Keohokalole, Jarrett $4,700
Yamashita, Kyle $4,400
Say, Calvin $3,200
Har, Sharon $3,100
Tsuji, Clifton $2,650
Luke, Sylvia $2,500
McKelvey, Angus $2,400
Ito, Ken $2,250
Magaoay, Michael $2,250
Chong, Dwight $2,050
Oshiro, Marcus $1,750
Yamane, Ryan $1,700
Saiki, Scott $1,500
Choy, Isaac $1,350
Rhoads, Karl $1,275
Lee, Christopher $1,250
Cachola, Romy $1,200
Sagum, Roland $1,200
Chang, Jerry $1,050
Marumoto, Barbara $1,050
Morikawa, Daynette $1,050
Takumi, Roy $950
Mizuno, John $850
Takai, K. Mark $850
Brower, Tom $800
Thielen, Cynthia $800
Apana, James $750
Lee, Marilyn $750
Nishimoto, Scott $750
Woodson, Justin $750
Ward, Gene $700
Evans, Cindy $650
Morita, Hermina $600
Nakasone, Robert $600
Ching, Corinne $550
Fontaine, George $550
Nakashima, Mark $550
Carroll, Mele $500
Ing, Mark $500
Aquino, Henry $450
Coffman, George $450
Belatti, Della $400
Hanohano, Faye $400
Takayama, Gregg $350
Awana, Karen $300
Waters, Thomas $300
DeCoite, Lynn $250
Holt, Daniel $250
Cullen, Ty $200
Hashem, Mark $200
Jordan, Jo $200
Chun, Cory $150
Wooley, Jessica $150
Ichiyama, Linda $100
Johanson, Aaron $100
Kobayashi, Bertrand $100
Lowen, Nicole $100
Onishi, Richard $100

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