HOUSE URGES ATTORNEY GENERAL TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPEDITE STATE INVESTIGATION

News release from House Majority Caucus, Jan 30, 2026 

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – The Hawaiʻi House of Representatives today passed House Resolution No. 8 with unanimous support, urging the Department of the Attorney General to expedite the state’s investigation into the alleged acceptance of campaign funds by a state legislator. The resolution’s passage follows notice that federal authorities will share evidence with state officials, allowing the Attorney General to move forward with a parallel state review.

“The House is formally requesting that the Attorney General act without delay to advance the state investigation, as this matter has raised serious public concern and warrants a timely, transparent action,” said House Speaker Nadine K. Nakamura. “Members of the House have made multiple requests for state action, and we appreciate the cooperation of federal authorities, which now allows the state to move forward while preserving the integrity of the federal process.”

“In a bipartisan effort, the House Republican Caucus calls on the Attorney General to immediately expedite the state investigation,” said House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto. “We have been advised that an internal House review, which we have called for, would compromise the federal investigation. While we respect that process, it cannot justify delay. The state investigation must move forward with urgency, transparency, and accountability."

House Resolution No. 8 also requests that the Department of the Attorney General notify the Legislature as soon as possible whether the legislator who allegedly accepted the $35,000 is a current member of the Thirty-Third Legislature. This follows formal announcements from both the House and Senate in which their current sitting members publicly affirmed that they are not the lawmaker referenced.

On January 20, 2026, the Department of the Attorney General announced that its Special Investigation and Prosecution Division will lead the state investigation. The division is responsible for investigating and prosecuting matters, including public corruption, fraud, and economic crimes.

“This division, established and funded by the Legislature in 2022, was created to handle matters of this nature and is the appropriate entity to conduct the investigation,” Speaker Nakamura added.

House Resolution No. 8 also requests that the Attorney General notify the Legislature upon completion of the investigation and provide a summary of findings for public release.

In addition to House Resolution No. 8, House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Chair David A. Tarnas introduced House Bill 1520, which addresses statute of limitations for campaign spending violations. The measure provides that the limitations period for criminal prosecutions begins when the Campaign Spending Commission discovers the offense, rather than being capped at five years from the date of the violation or filing of the report.

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Review House Resolution No. 8 here.

Review House Bill 1520 here.

SA: House urges investigation of legislator who accepted $35K in cash | Honolulu Star-Advertiser