Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke faces indictment on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery and falsifying candidate committee reports.

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying candidate committee reports. The charges stem from a 2022 bribe she allegedly took as a state lawmaker from businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum. Prosecutors allege Solidum offered Luke $35,000 in connection to a state COVID-19 testing contract. While Luke admitted to accepting two $5,000 checks from Solidum, she denied that the money influenced her lawmaking. The indictment also includes four other defendants: former state representative Ryan Yamane, state Airports Administrator Ford Fuchigami, former public utilities commission official Leo Asunción, and Tobi Solidum. Governor Josh Green called for Luke to resign following the announcement. Legal experts noted that while the evidence against Yamane is strong due to direct recordings, the case against Luke may be harder to prove as she maintains the donations were not a direct "quid pro quo." Luke has taken an indefinite leave of absence and ended her reelection campaign.

Sources