URGING THE SENATE TO ESTABLISH AN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 21, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF A 2022 CASH OR CHECK PAYMENT FROM AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL TO AN “INFLUENTIAL LEGISLATOR” FOR THE PURPOSE OF INFLUENCING AN EXISTING POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, AND TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW, STATE ETHICS CODE, AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROVISIONS.

SR4

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

4

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

URGING THE SENATE TO ESTABLISH AN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 21, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF
A 2022 CASH OR CHECK PAYMENT FROM AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL TO AN �INFLUENTIAL
LEGISLATOR� FOR THE PURPOSE OF INFLUENCING AN EXISTING POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, AND
TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW, STATE ETHICS CODE, AND CAMPAIGN
FINANCE PROVISIONS
.

����
WHEREAS, a
document filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Hawaiʻi by the United States Attorney�s Office reported that in 2022
former State Representative Ty Cullen, acting in cooperation with federal
law-enforcement authorities, made an undercover recording of an unknown
individual providing �an influential legislator� with approximately $35,000 in
cash or checks intended to influence �an existing campaign�; and

����
WHEREAS, to
date, no federal criminal charges have been filed against the �influential
legislator,� whose identity remains undisclosed and who may still be serving as
a member of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature; and

����
WHEREAS, following
mounting public pressure, in January 2026 it was announced the state has
initiated an investigation for which federal authorities will be sharing
evidence; and

WHEREAS, due to a five-year
statute of limitations, the state only has until January 2027 to pursue charges;
and

����
WHEREAS, allegations
suggesting that an elected legislator may have accepted a substantial cash
payment intended to influence an election or campaign strike at the core of
democratic accountability and, if left unexamined, risk eroding public
confidence in state government; and

����
WHEREAS,
transparency, oversight, and public inquiry are essential components of ethical
governance and

are necessary to preserve public trust and ensure
adherence to the rule of law; and

����
WHEREAS, Chapter
21, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, authorizes either house of the Legislature
to establish investigative committees vested with the power to issue subpoenas,
administer oaths, compel the production of documents, and hold individuals in
contempt for failure to comply; and

WHEREAS, as this matter
affects a member of the legislative body, it is imperative that the Legislature
take responsibility for the actions of one of its own and pursue its own
investigation concurrently; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the Senate establishes an Investigative Committee
pursuant to Chapter 21, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, to:

(1)

Investigate
the alleged 2022 transaction involving the delivery of $35,000 in cash or
checks from an unknown individual to an unidentified �influential legislator�;

(2)

Determine
whether any state criminal statutes, campaign finance laws, ethics rules, or
other legal provisions were violated by any individual involved;

(3)

Examine
the adequacy of existing laws, rules, and enforcement mechanisms intended to
prevent corruption, bribery, improper influence, or misuse of campaign funds;

(4)

Receive
testimony, compel the attendance of witnesses, require the production of
records and documents, and conduct public hearings in accordance with Chapter
21;

(5)

Prepare
findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals to strengthen
anti-corruption safeguards, increase transparency, and improve ethical
oversight within state government; and

(6)

Refer
any evidence of potential criminal, civil, or administrative violations to the
Attorney General, the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission, the Campaign
Spending Commission, or any other appropriate authority; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the President of the Senate shall appoint the members of the
investigative committee, designate the chairperson, and authorize the committee
to employ staff, legal counsel, or other resources necessary to carry out its
duties; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
President of the Senate, the Attorney General, the State Ethics Commission, the
Campaign Spending Commission, and the United States Attorney for the District
of Hawaiʻi.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

Legislative
Investigative Committee; Improper Campaign Influence