Anne Lopez: Stop Hiding the Truth and Release the $35,000 Bribery Findings Now

For months, Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez has hidden behind the same tired script: the investigation is “ongoing,” the public must wait, and answers will come “at the appropriate time.” Meanwhile, the people of Hawaiʻi have been left in the dark about one of the most explosive public corruption scandals in recent memory: the alleged $35,000 “paper bag” payoff to an “influential state legislator.”

Now, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke has announced she will not seek reelection, citing the toll of the past three months. That changes everything. The election excuse is gone. The political calendar excuse is gone. The claim that disclosure might interfere with voters is gone. What remains is a simple question:

What is Anne Lopez hiding, and why is she still hiding it?

Gov. Josh Green publicly echoed what many Hawaiʻi residents have been saying privately for weeks: this investigation has dragged on too long. He said it was “not fair” to the public and demanded clarity. He was right then, and he is even more right now.

This case did not begin yesterday. Federal investigators reportedly had recordings. The Department of Justice transferred evidence to the state. Lopez’s office announced the probe in January. Since then, we’ve heard boasts about interviews and documents reviewed, but no real transparency, no timeline, and no accountability.

That is not justice. That is bureaucratic stonewalling.

The Attorney General’s duty is not to protect political insiders from embarrassment. It is not to run out the clock until the headlines fade. It is not to keep citizens guessing as confidence in government collapses.

Her duty is to the people of Hawaiʻi.

If charges are warranted, file them. If the evidence clears those involved, say so. If others are implicated, name them. But this endless limbo serves no one except the powerful.

And let’s be honest, every day this drags on deepens public suspicion that there are two systems in Hawaiʻi, one for ordinary citizens and another for connected insiders with titles, lawyers, and influence.

Ike Pono Hawaiʻi believes in clean government, honest institutions, and accountability without fear or favor. That means no special treatment for the politically connected and no secret investigations that linger indefinitely while trust in public institutions erodes.

Anne Lopez has had months. She has had evidence. She has had every opportunity to act.

The lieutenant governor has stepped aside from reelection. The political shield is gone.

So, here is our message to the Attorney General:

Enough delay. Enough excuses. Enough silence.

Release the findings. Tell the public what happened in the $35,000 bribery case. Let Hawaiʻi see whether justice is real or just another slogan used when convenient.

The people are watching. And they are done waiting.