Nothing screams "totally innocent political dealings" quite like a dinner at Morton's The Steakhouse that somebody secretly records. Hawaii's Democratic Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke just got slapped with a 12-count indictment by an Oahu grand jury, and the charges are a real buffet of alleged corruption, as Trending Politics reported.
Luke is facing charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery by a public servant, and falsifying candidate committee reports. Four other people were also named because apparently this was a group project. The whole mess revolves around COVID-19 testing contracts, because of course it does. Is there anything pandemic money didn't touch?
Here's where it gets spicy. Back in 2022, Luke was chairing the Hawaii House Finance Committee while simultaneously running for lieutenant governor. The allegations center on campaign contributions from lobbyist Tobi Solidum, who was reportedly trying to lock down state funding for COVID testing programs run through the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, one of his clients. So basically, money goes in one pocket, government contracts come out the other. Allegedly.
The investigation by Hawaii's Attorney General took roughly six months and was built on intel from a previous federal corruption probe. That federal case is how we got the Morton's Steakhouse recording. On January 20, 2022, Luke allegedly sat down for dinner with Solidum, his stepdaughter Kristen Pae, and then state Rep. Ty Cullen. Plot twist: Cullen had already pleaded guilty in the related federal case and was cooperating with authorities. He wore a wire. Imagine biting into a filet mignon while your dinner companion is literally gathering evidence against you.
The supporting cast of indicted individuals includes former state Rep. Ryan Yamane (conspiracy and bribery charges), Solidum himself (conspiracy and three counts of bribery), Ford Fuchigami from the state Department of Transportation (conspiracy, false statements, and obstruction), and Leo Asuncion, a former Public Utilities Commission chair who volunteered for Luke's campaign (falsifying reports, false statements, and obstruction).
Bail was set at $80,000 for Luke, Fuchigami, and Asuncion, while Yamane got tagged with $150,000. As for Solidum? A no bail warrant was issued because he apparently decided the Philippines sounded nicer than a Hawaiian courtroom. Can't really blame his travel instincts, though his timing is suspicious.
The alleged scheme spans from roughly February 2020 through April 2022, involving meetings, communications, and financial transactions supposedly designed to influence legislative and departmental decisions on emergency testing site funding.
Luke had already stepped back from her role as lieutenant governor in late April, taking an indefinite unpaid leave after learning she was a target. She also dropped her reelection bid at that point. When the feds come knocking and your dinner companion was recording the whole time, "campaign pause" is probably the understatement of the century.
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