“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.”

by Andrew Walden

On January 7, all House members sitting in 2022 signed a statement disclaiming any involvement in receiving a $35,000 bribe in a brown paper bag.

Two days later, Senate President Kouchi, himself emerging in popular consciousness as a bribe suspect, released a copycat statement:

All majority Senate members have stated that they did not receive the alleged funds and do not know any legislator who received the alleged funds.

None of the minority members responded to my inquiry.

In 2022, there was only one Senate Republican, ex-Democrat Kurt Fevella of Ewa. 

As with Kouchi’s request, Fevella did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Hawai’i Free Press.

Fevella, in 2011, was sued for fraud over the transfer of the title deed for an Ewa Beach home to his name.

Normally Choy and Cullen wouldn't bribe a Republican because the Republican has only his own vote to sell.  It's not worth $35K.

But, in this case they were not operating 'normally.'   Rather than trying to steer money to themselves, they were trying to find someone to turn in to the FBI in exchange for reduced sentences.

Bribing a Republican would allow Cullen and Choy to get those reduced sentences without harming any of the numerous Democrats they have obviously been doing ‘business’ with for years.  It’s a win-win.

But there are a lot of moving parts.

Civil Beat March, 2025, reports:

On Dec. 13, 2021, Cullen traveled to New Jersey at the FBI’s request to meet with one such investigative subject — an interaction that was monitored and recorded by the FBI. That meeting and a follow-up conversation the next day helped the public corruption investigation, the filing states.  

A few weeks later, on Jan. 18, 2022, that man paid Cullen $3,000, “believing the defendant could assist him with an official request,” according to the filing. The filing doesn’t specify what the man wanted or whether Cullen acted on the request. 

Two days after that meeting, on Jan. 20, the man provided the “influential state lawmaker” with the $35,000, the filing says.

Prosecutors ultimately recommended that Cullen serve two years in prison instead of three due to his cooperation. In the end, he served 11 months. 

Could a New Jersey businessman in Hawaii to grease the opening of the 2022 Legislative Session really be conned into thinking Fevella was ‘influential’ enough to be worth $35K?

But then, why is Fevella silent?

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Jan 7, 2026: "$35K Bribe? Not Me!" -- Signed by Every House Member Sitting in 2022

Jan 9 2025: $35K Bribe: Kouchi Finally Speaks--Provides Tantalizing Clue