Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke was charged with taking a bribe from a lobbyist and criminal conspiracy while she was a state legislator. The indictment issued by a grand jury charges Luke with bribery, conspiracy and falsifying candidate committee reports.
According to the indictment, lobbyist Tobi Solidum met Luke at a restaurant in January 2022 and gave her two campaign donation checks worth $5,000 each. It says Solidum promised Luke a total of $70,000 in bribes to renew COVID-19 testing site contracts that his client, the Hawaii National Kidney Foundation, had with the state.
In a statement on social media, Luke acknowledged she received the two checks but said she took no further money and that her legislative work was not influenced by any donation. "Throughout my career, I have never granted special privileges to any contributor," she said.
Governor calls for resignation
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Luke should resign after the indictment was unsealed. "The lieutenant governor should consider formally stepping down to address this matter and so that Hawaii can move forward," Green said.
The investigation led by state Attorney General Anne Lopez also charged former state representative Ryan Yamane, Hawaii Department of Transportation official Ford Fuchigami and former public utilities commission official Leo Asunción, in addition to Luke and lobbyist Solidum.
The indictment also recorded that Solidum used Luke's campaign for lieutenant governor, saying "All I have to do is give her more money now." The investigation is a follow-up to a federal bribery probe.