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Democratic Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and falsifying candidate committee reports stemming from a bribe she allegedly took as a state lawmaker in 2022.
The indictment alleges that local businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum offered Luke a $35,000 bribe connected to a COVID-19 testing contract a company he recommended had with the state.
Solidum was also indicted as part of the state attorney general’s probe, along with former state representative Ryan Yamane, Hawaii’s Transportation Department official Ford Fuchigami, and Leo Asunción, a former official for Hawaii’s public utilities commission.
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All five defendants were swept up as part of state Attorney General Anne Lopez’s January investigation, which was an offshoot of a federal bribery probe.
Solidum represented the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, which had contracts with the state to provide COVID-19 testing sites.
In January 2022, with his client’s contracts set to expire soon, Solidum met with Luke at a steakhouse and allegedly gave her two $5,000 checks made out to her campaign committee Friends of Sylvia Luke, according to prosecutors.
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“By next week, we’ll have 35, so it will be halfway to our 70,” Solidum allegedly told Luke, promising to give her $70,000, according to the indictment.
“Oh wow,” Luke allegedly replied, adding, “That’s terrific,” according to the documents.
Luke admitted to accepting the two $5,000 checks, but denied taking more than that and also denied any money influencing her lawmaking.
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“I never granted special favors to a contributor,” she said in a social media post, adding that she “prized integrity and honesty above all throughout her career.”
The indictment also argues that Solidum appeared to be attempting to leverage Luke’s upcoming run for lieutenant governor. Speaking about Luke to another state representative, Solidum said, “All I gotta do is give her more money now,” the indictment alleges.
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Hawaii Gov. Josh Green called for Luke to resign hours after the indictment.
“The lieutenant governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaiʻi can move forward,” Green told local outlet Maui Now on Friday.
Fox News Digital contacted the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s offices for further comment.
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هلدینگ کاسپین استانبول | خرید ملک در ترکیه | صرافی معتبر ایرانی در ترکیه | خرید و فروش طلا در ترکیه | مهاجرت به ترکیه | واردات و صادرات در ترکیه | نیازمندیهای ترکیه | اخبار ترکیه | اخبار جهانی | توریست ایران | خدمات توریستی در ایران | تورهای گردشگری ایران | هلدینگ اول | خدمات کاریابی و فریلنسری و شغل | مرجع اطلاعات ایران (همه چیز در ایران) | کیف پول و خدمات مالی و پرداخت یار | اخبار ایران | تابلو زنده قیمت ارز در ترکیه و استانبول | صرافی آنلاین ترکیه | قیمت طلا و نقره در ترکیه | سرمایه گذاری در ترکیه | جواهرات در ترکیه | نرخ لحظه ای ارزها در استانبول | قیمت دلار امروز در ترکیه | قیمت دلار استانبول امروز | قیمت لحظه ای دلار | اخبار روز ترکیه استانبول | اپلیکیشن ISTEX | اپلیکیشن قیمت لحظه ای دلار و یورو و لیر و ارزها در ترکیه
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