Sylvia Luke, Others Indicted by Grand Jury in Bribery Case
Investigators say the case stems from evidence tied to $35,000 in campaign contributions and includes more than two dozen interviews.
- On Friday, an Oahu grand jury indicted Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke for criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying candidate committee reports, along with ex-State Rep. Ryan Yamane, businessman Tobi Solidum, Transportation Deputy Director Ford Fuchigami, and former Public Utilities Commission Chair Leo Asuncion Jr.
- The investigation traces to a January 2022 dinner where then-state Rep. Cullen, working as an FBI informant, recorded Luke, Solidum, and Solidum's stepdaughter Kristen Pae. Federal prosecutors provided evidence to State Attorney General Anne Lopez on January 16, prompting her to announce a state investigation four days later.
- The indictment includes a taped transcript where Solidum offers Luke two $5,000 campaign donations and promises up to $70,000 more for her lieutenant governor campaign. Court records show Solidum's company earned more than $7 million in consulting fees from a National Kidney Foundation COVID testing program that sold overpriced tests to Hawaii residents up to $166 per test, compared to the national median of $62.
- Luke turned herself in Friday with bail set at $80,000, while Fuchigami and Yamane each had bail set at $150,000, Asuncion at $80,000, and Solidum—who reportedly fled to the Philippines—had no bail set. Gov. Josh Green called for Luke's resignation.
- Legal experts suggest the investigation may expand beyond the five indicted officials, with former judge Randal Lee noting that similar schemes typically involve additional participants. The case marks Hawaii's largest bribery scandal—a dramatic reversal for Luke, who served over two decades in the legislature including 10 years as House Finance Committee chair.
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Bribes? Democrat state official facing criminal indictment out of state corruption investigation * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Source link Sylvia Luke, the lieutenant governor for the state of Hawaii and a Democrat, is facing a grand jury indictment for criminal conspiracy that comes from an investigation into corruption in the state. She is accused of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and falsifying reports – all over a bribe she allegedly took as
Hawaii’s Democrat Lt. Gov. Luke indicted in state corruption probe
Democratic Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and falsifying candidate committee reports stemming from a bribe she allegedly took as a state lawmaker in 2022. The indictment alleges that local businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum offered Luke a $35,000 bribe connected...
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, 4 others indicted in state’s political corruption probe
An Oahu grand jury today indicted Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and four others as part of the state Attorney General’s months-long political corruption probe. The post Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, 4 others indicted in state’s political corruption probe appeared first on The Garden Island.
Hawaii Lt. Governor Indicted in Political Bribery Case
“An Oahu grand jury indicted Sylvia Luke among four others on Friday in connection to an ongoing political bribery case,” KITV reports. ”The indictments made by a grand jury on Friday, July 24, are part of an investigation launched by federal and state authorities months ago into an alleged bribe taken by an ‘influential’ lawmaker […]
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