No Pono in the Senate: Brenton Awa’s Ethics Case Exposes a Bigger Problem

State Senator Awa

When the Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission calls out a sitting senator for breaking the law, it should be front-page news. 

However, like many stories that challenge those in power, this one risks being swept under the rug.

Senator Brenton Awa, who represents O‘ahu’s North Shore, is under fire for using taxpayer-funded state resources to promote a political campaign, and not just any campaign, but his own staffer’s. 

The Commission found that Awa filmed and posted an Instagram video from his state office during working hours, urging followers to support his then–chief of staff, Samantha DeCorte, who was running for the Wai‘anae Senate seat.

“Getting Sam in as Wai‘anae senator would unlock our full potential,” Awa said in the video, before ending with, “You guys know what to do.” 

Those words, recorded in a taxpayer-funded office with taxpayer-paid staff, are exactly why the Ethics Commission cited him for violating the Fair Treatment law under HRS §84-13(a).

The rule is simple: you cannot use state time, office, or resources for political gain. Period.

The Commission didn’t mince words. 

Its notice said Awa’s conduct “strikes at the heart of the public’s trust in government…that public resources will not be used for private political gain.” 

Yet instead of taking responsibility, Awa doubled down. 

State Senator DeCorte

He refused to remove the video, denied that his official Instagram account was “official,” and demanded an in-person hearing to fight the $999.99 fine.

Let’s be real, this isn’t about the money. 

It’s about the mindset. 

When our elected officials think the rules don’t apply to them, we all lose. 

The arrogance of saying “I didn’t do anything wrong” while using your state office for campaign videos shows how disconnected some of our leaders have become from the meaning of kuleana.

Awa’s case is one example of a deeper sickness growing inside the Capitol, a culture where ethics are seen as suggestions rather than sacred duties. 

We’ve seen it before: lawmakers caught taking bribes, staffers rewarded with promotions for loyalty instead of merit, and leaders turning a blind eye when one of their own crosses the line. 

State Senators Awa (l) and DeCorte (middle)

Every time the Legislature fails to enforce pono behavior, it sends the message that corruption can thrive under the watchful silence of power.

The people of Hawai‘i deserve better. We deserve lawmakers who remember that aloha ‘āina isn’t just about the land, it’s about caring for the people’s trust. 

Using state time and space for campaign politics? 

That’s not aloha, that’s self-serving.

Senator Awa’s hearing should be more than a slap on the wrist. 

It should be a wake-up call, not only for him, but for every lawmaker sitting under the Capitol dome. 

If we expect Hawai‘i to move forward, our leaders must act with true pono, not political convenience. 

Otherwise, we’ll keep watching the same movie, over and over again — and the ending never changes.