Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Indicted's lieutenant governor was indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying candidate committee reports, according to state prosecutors.
The alleged bribe occurred in 2022 when the official was a state lawmaker. A local businessman and lobbyist, identified as Tobi Solidum, allegedly offered a $35,000 bribe in connection with a COVID-19 testing contract.
Along with the lieutenant governor and the businessman, prosecutors indicted former state representative Ryan Yamane, Hawaii’s Transportation Department official Ford Fuchigami, and Leo Asunción, a former official for Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Indicted's public utilities commission.
The lieutenant governor admitted to accepting two $5,000 checks but denied taking any additional money and denied that any money influenced her lawmaking.
Prosecutors allege the businessman stated in a recorded conversation: "All I gotta do is give her more money now."