Clean-government groups rally at State Capitol urging special prosecutor for alleged bribery

Clean-government advocates and campaign-finance watchdogs pressed Governor Josh Green on Feb. 25 at the State Capitol to name a special independent prosecutor to investigate alleged state-level bribery, including a 2022 alleged $35,000 cash payment described in reporting as handed to a lawmaker in a paper bag. The push came as Attorney General Anne Lopez opened a parallel state probe on Jan. 20 after the matter surfaced in a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry, and reporting indicates subpoenas have been issued in the ongoing investigation.

The rally included the Clean Elections Hawai‘i coalition, which renewed calls for an independent criminal review while also pressing the Legislature for campaign-finance reforms. Advocates at the Capitol urged immediate appointment of a special prosecutor to ensure an impartial criminal inquiry into the alleged $35,000 payment and other conflicts that watchdogs say point to systemic risks in state contracting and campaign finance.

Governor Josh Green publicly reiterated his confidence in Attorney General Anne Lopez and said the administration expects the AG’s office to lead the state inquiry. Green said, “If the legislature gives me some solid bills, which I’m sure they will, I will obviously sign them. That happened last year and the year before. I know it never goes quite as fast as like the Clean Elections entity wants, but these are complex issues. They have to also be mindful of the Constitution and who’s allowed to donate and who’s not, and what restrictions there are. But yes, for clean government, the less influence there is, the better.” He added, “I think those donations should be given back. And I’ve heard from some of those lawmakers and they gave him money back, you know, in an upstanding way, and that’s good, you know, I’ll be quite candid. I’m very grateful I didn’t meet that guy or didn’t know him, you know, because money flies around in politics. And unfortunately, a lot [...]” Green also said, “It’s concerning. Of course, we have to restore the public trust. I think that is obvious, and that’s why we are insisting that the Attorney General do a totally independent investigation. The legislature gave us very specific rules, a special division under the attorney general to do exactly that, and that’s what she’s doing, everyone else is walled off from this investigation, so it’s her job, and to restore the public trust, we need to have results, and we need to have them in a timely fashion, because I want to be focusing on things like affordability, housing, homelessness. But as you can see right now, with all of this concern, it’s harder to do.”

Pressure for an independent criminal review increased after Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke acknowledged she “may be the lawmaker in question” in reporting about the alleged $35,000 transaction. Luke told reporters she accepted two $5,000 campaign checks at a January 2022 dinner, one from Honolulu businessman Tobi J. Solidum, 66, identified as “Cullen’s friend,” and one from Solidum’s daughter, Kristen Pae, 33, and said she returned both checks in March 2022, citing “clerical oversight” for not recording them. Luke said, “As I have said, I support the Attorney General’s process for a thoughtful and quick investigation. I have supported various forms of publicly financed elections in the past and I continue to believe in their merit.” Luke also insists she “did not accept $35,000 and has done nothing wrong.”

Alongside calls for a special prosecutor, Clean Elections Hawai‘i and allied groups pressed lawmakers for statutory change. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up three bribery bills, SB 2249 to increase penalties for bribery, SB 2494 to establish a nine-year statute of limitations for bribery, and SB 2737 to create a misdemeanor offense for failing to report bribery by a state or county elected official, while advocates push separate legislation to create comprehensive public financing and bar donations from family members of relatives with lucrative state contracts.

International watchdog examples were cited by advocates as models for independence: “In British Columbia, a Special Prosecutor is usually appointed for such cases (not as independent as they need to be, but more independent than a Crown counsel), and they usually provide detailed reasons if they decide not to prosecute,” and Democracy Watch notes that Quebec has maintained an independent anti-corruption police force and prosecutors since 2011. For now, the case remains under a federal inquiry and a state probe led by Attorney General Anne Lopez, while Clean Elections Hawai‘i and other watchdogs continue to press Governor Green and the Legislature for either an independent special prosecutor or statutory reforms to restore public trust.