Dalton Tanonaka, who has been sentenced to jail time and restitution in federal court on other campaign spending violations, now must pay $7,500 to the state for illegally diverting money to his campaigns for lieutenant governor.

The state Campaign Spending Commission assessed Tanonaka the $7,500 for failing to report contributions from four donors totaling $83,000. He also will have to amend his campaign spending disclosure statements.

Charges were dropped against those donors — Russell Hata, a former food service executive; Miles Furutani, an attorney who represented Tanonaka before the commission; Carol Tsai, the former president of the Hawai'i Chinese Tourism Association; and Lance Masatsugu, the former treasurer of Tanonaka's campaign.

All four had been named in the complaint by Robert Watada, former executive director of the commission.

However, current executive director Barbara Wong told commissioners that her interviews with the donors gave her no evidence that they knew they were contributing to his campaign.

Tanonaka, a former journalist, had told them he needed personal loans to help pay bills, Wong said.

"He put it into his account and from his account wrote a check to the campaign," she said.

According to state law, candidates can lend money to their campaigns and can accept loans of up to $50,000 from family members, but outside donors can loan only $10,000, and the money must be reported on campaign disclosure statements. Three of the personal loans exceeded $10,000.

Last week, Tanonaka was sentenced to three months in federal prison and fined $10,000 for different campaign spending violations.

He will begin serving his term Dec. 15, likely at the Federal Detention Center near the airport.

The Federal Election Commission also is looking at Tanonaka's congressional campaign.