Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, a Democrat, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges tied to an alleged bribery scheme dating back to her time as a state lawmaker in 2022. The charges include criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying candidate committee reports.
According to the indictment, local businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum allegedly offered Luke a $35,000 bribe connected to a state COVID-19 testing contract involving a company he had recommended.
Solidum was also charged in the state attorney general’s investigation. The indictment additionally names former state Rep. Ryan Yamane, Hawaii Department of Transportation official Ford Fuchigami, and Leo Asunción, a former official with Hawaii’s public utilities commission.
The five defendants were charged as part of a January investigation led by state Attorney General Anne Lopez, a case that grew out of a broader federal bribery probe.
Solidum represented the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, an organization that held state contracts to operate COVID-19 testing sites during the pandemic.
Prosecutors say Solidum met Luke at a steakhouse in January 2022, as his client’s state contracts were nearing expiration, and allegedly handed her two $5,000 checks made payable to her campaign committee, Friends of Sylvia Luke.
The indictment says Solidum allegedly told Luke, “By next week, we’ll have 35, so it will be halfway to our 70,” a statement prosecutors describe as a promise to provide $70,000.
Luke allegedly responded, “Oh wow,” before adding, “That’s terrific,” according to the charging documents.
Luke admitted to accepting the two $5,000 checks, but denied taking more than that and also denied any money influencing her lawmaking.
“I never granted special favors to a contributor,” she said in a social media post, adding that she “prized integrity and honesty above all throughout her career.”
The indictment also argues that Solidum appeared to be attempting to leverage Luke’s upcoming run for lieutenant governor.
Speaking about Luke to another state representative, Solidum said, “All I gotta do is give her more money now,” the indictment alleges.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green called for Luke to resign hours after the indictment.
“The lieutenant governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaiʻi can move forward,” Green told local outlet Maui Now on Friday.
Fox News Digital contacted the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s offices for further comment.
