Recording alleges $35,000 paper-bag payoff to influential legislator, Kaua‘i probe ongoing

A recording of a January 2022 meeting allegedly captured an “influential” state legislator accepting $35,000 in a paper bag, a transaction then-state Rep. Ty Cullen recorded while acting as an FBI asset, according to reporting that first made the interaction public. Cullen later was sent to prison for accepting bribes, and the recording has become a focal point in ongoing federal and state scrutiny.

Civil Beat framed the recording as “an unresolved thread in one of the biggest political scandals in Hawaiʻi history” and quoted federal prosecutors’ description of the recipient as “influential,” adding that the interaction raises the central question: “Who is that influential lawmaker?” The identity has not been publicly disclosed.

At the state level, Attorney General Anne Lopez told reporters that the Special Investigation and Prosecution Division is probing the matter, has issued an unspecified number of subpoenas and completed “several” interviews, and “The Special Investigation and Prosecution Division is working day and night on its investigation into an alleged $35,000 bribe to a state legislator in 2022.” Lopez added, “This is a criminal investigation. If a crime has been committed, I will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law because this is a criminal investigation, and criminal investigations could lead to trial with criminal penalties.”

Legislative leaders moved to canvass members. House Speaker Naen Nakamura said in a statement they condemned the acceptance of funds without reporting to the campaign spending commission and that 23 representatives who were serving in 2022 “signed the pledge” affirming they do not know the identity of the legislator who received the cash, a pledge first reported in a Hawaii News Now segment posted Jan. 13, 2026.

On the Senate side, Senate President Ron Kouchi told Civil Beat, “All majority Senate members have stated that they did not receive the alleged funds and do not know any legislator who received the alleged funds.” Senate spokeswoman Sheryl Turbeville clarified that “all” includes Kouchi himself; some video transcripts from January spelled his name as “Kochi,” a discrepancy in public reporting.

Campaign-finance records add complexity. Civil Beat reported that “Luke, now lieutenant governor, was the only person to report receiving a total of at least $35,000 within the seven-day reporting window of the transaction,” yet Civil Beat also noted she “says the influential lawmaker wasn’t her.” Civil Beat flagged that it remains unclear whether the $35,000 was an illegal bribe or a bundle of lawful campaign contributions handed to be redistributed.

Members of the Good Government Caucus held a press conference demanding more than pledge signatures. “We need to do better. And I think the people of Hawaii are clearly saying to everyone in this building, do better now,” one speaker said, and another urged that “We need to understand a limited scope of how that money and what are the circumstances around that money and what happened to that money because it's going to shed light on how the money flows through the campaign finance system.”

Former state senator Gary Hooser weighed in with an opinion column on Feb. 18, 2026, arguing the “$35,000 in a paper bag” story could reshape Kaua‘i politics. The Kaua‘i angle is sharpened by the fact that Senator Kouchi has represented Kaua‘i for 15 years and is running for reelection this year. State and federal probes remain active; the recording, campaign finance traces and SIPD’s subpoenas leave the core questions unresolved as prosecutors and lawmakers continue to seek answers.