Hawaii Attorney General to investigate $35K bribery case after all

Hawaii Attorney General Launches Investigation into Mystery Lawmaker’s $35,000 Cash Payment

In a significant reversal of her previous stance, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Tuesday she will investigate a case involving an unidentified Hawaii lawmaker who was recorded accepting $35,000 in a paper bag during a 2022 FBI bribery investigation.

Federal authorities informed state officials last Friday that they would share evidence of the transaction, which was recorded by former state Rep. Ty Cullen. Following his arrest for bribery in 2021, Cullen became an FBI informant to potentially reduce his sentence. He subsequently accepted $3,000 from an unnamed subject in the bribery investigation and two days later recorded that same person handing $35,000 to one of his legislative colleagues.

The identity of this “influential” lawmaker, as described in court filings, remains unknown to the public. It is unclear whether this individual still holds public office.

Public scrutiny has intensified since local news outlet Civil Beat first revealed the monetary exchange last year. The case has sparked widespread debate about whether the payment constituted a bribe, an unreported gift, an illegal campaign contribution, or legal campaign cash bundling—a practice where donations are grouped together to curry favor with politicians.

With the statute of limitations for potential state charges ticking away, Governor Josh Green and Attorney General Lopez determined together that a state investigation is in the public interest, according to Tuesday’s press release.

“Governor Green has consistently emphasized the importance of individuals coming forward voluntarily when concerns arise, expressing his hope that matters can be resolved in a way that maintains public trust in government,” the attorney general’s office stated.

The investigation will be led by the attorney general’s special investigation and prosecution division, which was established in 2022 following a separate bribery scandal. Officials indicated they would not comment further to “preserve the integrity of the investigation.”

The announcement comes after months of resistance from state officials, who had repeatedly claimed they would not launch their own investigation to avoid interfering with the ongoing federal case. The federal government has consistently described the matter as part of an active investigation.

A citizen petition effort led by government accountability advocate and attorney Alexander Silvert has placed significant pressure on the Legislature to expose the recipient of the $35,000. Several current lawmakers have also called for a legislative probe.

At a Tuesday press conference in front of the federal courthouse, Rep. Della Au Belatti called for immediate transparency about the lawmaker’s identity.

“This is not an investigation that needs to be bottled up,” said Belatti, a Democrat who is running for Congress. “Is it a current legislator? Is it someone who’s sitting in the executive branch?”

Silvert urged the governor to order the attorney general to reveal the lawmaker’s identity to the Legislature. He noted that while the conduct may not ultimately prove illegal, the Legislature should be able to “address within their own house what to do with this person.”

Belatti and Republican Kanani Souza have been pressing for an investigation since last year. In a letter they shared with the media on Tuesday, they had urged the attorney general to determine what happened and make the facts public. They argued that understanding the circumstances is crucial to determine if laws were broken, or if new legislation is needed to “curtail practices which are eroding the public’s trust in government.”

The attorney general’s change in position comes just two weeks after she stated she would not investigate the case. At that time, Lopez said she had spoken directly with acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson, who “affirmed that a parallel investigation by state authorities would interfere with their federal investigation.”

Since then, pressure has mounted significantly. Civil Beat surveyed nearly every current and former lawmaker from 2022 about whether they received the funds, with most denying involvement. Silvert’s petition gathered over 1,000 signatures by Tuesday, and multiple lawmakers—including some congressional candidates—have publicly advocated for transparency.

Some legislators are taking additional action. Senator Jarrett Keohokalole is introducing legislation to extend the statute of limitations for bribery charges from six to nine years. Belatti noted Tuesday that if the lawmaker in question remains in office, they should be prevented from voting on any statute of limitations that could affect their own case.

Even with the attorney general’s investigation now underway, a group of House members continues to press for legislative action, requesting details from House Speaker Nadine Nakamura about how Silvert’s petition will be handled.

The growing scandal highlights ongoing concerns about government ethics and transparency in Hawaii politics, coming in the wake of previous corruption cases that have shaken public confidence in state institutions.