Lt. Gov. Accused in Sweeping Bribery Scheme

Politics admin July 27, 2026 0 Comments

Democratic lieutenant governor of Hawaii Sylvia Luke was indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and falsifying campaign committee reports. The charges come after a monthslong investigation by the Hawaii attorney general’s office into allegations that Luke accepted campaign donations from lobbyist and businessman Tobi Solidum in exchange for helping secure a COVID-19 testing contract in 2022, when she chaired the state House Finance Committee. “From the outset of this investigation, I have repeated that we have a commitment to following the facts to where they lead, no matter how long it takes to get there,” Anne Lopez, the state’s attorney general, said. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green called on the lieutenant governor to step down. “The Attorney General announced significant developments in her department’s corruption investigation and has provided an update on their findings,” he said in a statement. “The Lieutenant Governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaiʻi can move forward.” Four others were also indicted in the bribery case, including former Democratic state Rep. Ryan Yamane. Luke has been on leave since April after she was named in the campaign finance investigation.