Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2018
When You’re Cracking Down On Corruption, Don’t Forget Lobbyists
There are many things the Legislature can do to bring far greater transparency and accountability to a sometimes shady political industry.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Roy Amemiya Was A ‘Soft-Spoken’ Banker Known For His Integrity. Then He Was Indicted
Amemiya’s attorney says his client played no role in arranging the retirement deal with disgraced ex-police chief Louis Kealoha. Federal prosecutors say otherwise.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016
‘Shock And Anger’ Over Legislative Bribery Cases Could Lead To Limits On Campaign Fundraising
Updated: The Legislature is considering a bill to ban legislators from holding fundraisers during session.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat/2014
Danny De Gracia: Want To Stop Corruption In Hawaii? Be A Better Voter
The bottlenecks for power in Hawaii are obvious and the rewards for kowtowing are consistent.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
Neal Milner: Bribery Is Shameful But Legal Influence Peddling Is A Bigger Problem
What two former lawmakers did was so simplistic, obvious and tragically comical that it’s easy to miss the real point: Legal influence is another sign of American inequality.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019
Corruption At The Hawaii Legislature Puts Campaign Donations In The Spotlight
Amid a new push for change, critics say the process surrounding legal campaign contributions urgently needs to be reformed.
Kevin Dayton/Civil Beat/2022
Lee Cataluna: Hawaii Is Not Immune To Political Corruption, But It’s Still Shocking
As Scott Saiki put it, “We want to believe these kinds of things only happen on the mainland.”
Screenshot: Hawaii Senate
Honolulu Businessman Milton Choy Had Been Working For Years With Feds On Legislative Bribery Case
The owner of a wastewater business has been a prolific campaign donor and received millions in sole-source government contracts over the years.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019
Upset About The Corruption Charges? What Are You Going To Do About It?
Democrats have such a complete lock on power in Hawaii — and Republicans are so marginalized — that there may be little political fallout from even these egregious cases.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021
Two Hawaii Lawmakers Charged In Bribery Scheme Over Cesspool Legislation
J. Kalani English and Ty Cullen are accused of accepting thousands of dollars to alter the course of certain measures in 2020.