The state House passed a resolution urging the Hawaiʻi attorney general to expedite the investigation to identify a Hawaiʻi lawmaker who is accused of accepting $35,000 in 2022.
The allegation came to light during the federal bribery investigation into former House Rep. Ty Cullen and Sen. Kalani English.
Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez announced in January that she would be investigating the issue — a reversal from a previous decision not to because of concern that it would interfere with the federal investigation.
The resolution requested that the attorney general notify the Legislature as soon as possible whether the person is a current member of the Legislature. It also urged the department to provide findings that could be released publicly.
Rep. Della Au Belatti says the resolution does not go far enough and that the House should conduct its own public investigation.
“I believe that we have to exercise our independent rights as an equal branch of government, and we're not doing it here,” she said. “We're giving a free pass … and saying to the attorney general, okay, justice delayed is justice denied at this point in time, and that's not acceptable.”
The last time the Legislature launched an investigative committee was in 2022, when former Rep. Shar Har was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving. Har was later acquitted.
Belatti explained that if the person who accepted the $35,000 is a sitting legislator, they have the opportunity to influence legislation, like proposals that would extend the statute of limitations on campaign finance violations beyond the current five years. Under the current law, the state only has until January 2027 to prosecute the alleged $35,000 exchange.
Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett spoke in favor of the resolution on the floor. However, he pushed back against calls for the House to publicly investigate the issue.
“Parallel proceedings risk witness confusion, inconsistent public statements, and the appearance or reality of political pressure on an active investigation,” he said. “Even when intentions are pure, the outcome can undermine the very confidence we are trying to restore. Restraint in this context is not passivity. It is institutional discipline.”
The 2026 legislative session runs through May 8.
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