I want you to hear directly from me.
Campaign Statement from Sylvia Luke for LG
Aloha,
By now, you have likely seen headlines about my campaign and about past campaign contributions that I have received. Many of my supporters have expressed confusion about the facts and timelines in the stories, and have asked for clarification. I am grateful for this opportunity to explain in detail.
First, let me acknowledge the kuleana every elected official holds to ensure that their constituents are confident that their leaders are governing ethically and in the public’s best interest. So before addressing the specifics, let me be clear: I have never personally enriched myself or any campaign supporter, never granted special favors to a contributor, and never purposely violated campaign finance rules.
Throughout my time in public service, I have been honored to earn the support of thousands across our state. Every campaign contribution I have received has come with the understanding that a donation to my campaign is not about advancing any individual agenda, but about supporting my vision of a more prosperous Hawaiʻi for all of our ʻohana.
As an elected leader, I have worked hard to maintain a commitment to transparency and accountability. That is why I want the people of Hawaiʻi to see for themselves a clear timeline addressing the questions that have been raised in the press about specific contributions to my campaign:
January 2022: I had dinner with Ty Cullen, Tobi Solidum, and Kristen Pae. At that dinner, Tobi and Kristen each gave a $5,000 contribution to my campaign.
February 8, 2022: The U.S. Department of Justice charged Ty Cullen with receiving bribes.
February 10, 2022: Milton Choy was identified by the media as "Person A" in the Cullen case. After learning of Choy’s charges, I decided the most ethical course of action would be to donate all past donations to my campaign from him, his family, and his business associates to the Campaign Spending Commission’s Hawai‘i Election Fund.
February 17, 2022: 15 contributions from Choy, his family, and his business associates, totaling $25,100 and made between November 3, 2014 and March 1, 2019, were sent to the Campaign Spending Commission.
March 25, 2022: At my instruction, my campaign cut refund checks of $5,000 each to Tobi Solidum and Kristen Pae due to their friendship with Ty Cullen.
This month, I was made aware that those refunds appeared in the campaign spending reports but the original contributions did not. I immediately instructed my team to review my past campaign spending reports, and that error was corrected on February 7th. I am now in the process of thoroughly auditing my past reports, and will continue to make amendments to them as needed.
I am embarrassed by this error, but I want to reemphasize: I never intentionally misreported my campaign’s finances. Like most campaigns in Hawaiʻi, mine is run by a small but dedicated team of volunteers. But as the candidate on the ballot, I take full responsibility for any errors. As soon as I became aware of these issues, I acted to correct them. While amendments to campaign spending reports are common and something nearly every elected official in our state has had to do, I am taking an additional step to ensure complete accuracy by hiring a professional campaign finance compliance firm to run the audit of my past reports and provide ongoing compliance services.
I have dedicated my career to serving the people of Hawaiʻi, the community that welcomed me as a young immigrant girl and gave me opportunities I could never have imagined. That experience shaped my life and instilled in me a deep commitment to service above self. For 27 years, first as a State Legislator and now as Lt. Governor, I have been guided by a simple principle: doing what is right for the people of Hawaiʻi.
I take seriously the trust you place in me, and as your Lt. Governor, I will continue to lead with integrity, accountability, and a focus on what is best for our state. Every decision I make is guided by the goal of building a stronger, more prosperous Hawaiʻi for all of our communities, and I will always strive to honor the confidence you have placed in me.