URGING THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO ESTABLISH AN INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 21, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF A JANUARY 20, 2022 PAYMENT FROM AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL TO AN “INFLUENTIAL STATE LEGISLATOR” FOR THE PURPORTED USE IN AN EXISTING CAMPAIGN AT THE TIME, AND TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW, THE STATE ETHICS CODE, AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROVISIONS.

This House Resolution (HR 9) urges the Hawaii House of Representatives to create an investigative committee under state law to examine a reported $35,000 payment made to an unnamed "influential state legislator" on January 20, 2022. The committee would investigate potential violations of state ethics rules, campaign finance laws, and other statutes related to the alleged payment, which was referenced in a sealed federal court document. The resolution is procedural - it does not create new law but requests a formal state-level review of the incident. It directly concerns the unnamed legislator involved in the payment and the state's oversight of campaign finance and ethics compliance.