Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke Indicted in Bribery Scheme Involving State COVID-19 Testing Contract

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke was indicted Friday on multiple felony charges, including bribery and conspiracy, following a state investigation into allegations that she accepted campaign contributions in exchange for helping advance a state COVID-19 testing contract while serving in the Hawaii Legislature.

A Hawaii grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging the Democrat lieutenant governor with criminal conspiracy to commit bribery and falsifying campaign committee reports, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced during a Friday press conference.

“From the outset of this investigation, I have repeated that we have a commitment to following the facts to where they lead, no matter how long it takes to get there,” Lopez told reporters.

The indictment follows a months-long investigation by the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General into allegations that Luke accepted campaign donations from businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum in exchange for helping secure a state COVID-19 testing contract while she served as chair of the Hawaii House Finance Committee in 2022.

Prosecutors allege the campaign contributions were tied to official actions Luke took to advance the contract, though further details were not immediately released.

The indictment places one of Hawaii’s highest-ranking elected officials at the center of a broader public corruption case.

Governor Josh Green, a fellow Democrat, said Saturday that Luke should step down from office following the charges.

“The attorney general announced significant developments in her department’s corruption investigation and has provided an update on their findings,” Green stated in a press release. “The lieutenant governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaii can move forward.”

Luke was one of five individuals indicted in the case, with former Democrat state Representative Ryan Yamane among those charged, according to the attorney general’s office.

Luke, who was elected lieutenant governor alongside Green in 2022, took a leave of absence from her official duties in April after news of the campaign finance investigation became public and announced she was ending her campaign for reelection.