Honolulu Civil Beat
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$35K in a paper bag? Hawaiʻi AG investigates
Posted
March 10, 2026
Views
1,070
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17
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March 10, 2026
1,070
17
7
2.24%
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1:18Now PlayingA Hawaiʻi lawmaker accepted $35,000 in a paper bag from a person subject to an FBI bribery investigation.
The interaction was recorded in January 2022 for the federal government by then-state Rep. Ty Cullen, who was acting as an FBI asset and was later sent to prison alongside former Senate Majority Leader Kalani English for accepting bribes.
Last month, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke suggested that federal investigators might believe she’s the influential lawmaker, but maintained that she never took $35,000 from someone in a meeting with Cullen.
The incident is under investigation by the state Attorney General — since then, some have called for an effort to make the AG an independently elected office, instead of being appointed by the governor. Others have urged the Legislature to take greater action.
State Sen. Tim Richards, Rep. Linda Ichiyama and Rep. Garner Shimizu shared their thoughts at a recent panel discussion hosted by Civil Beat.
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