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State political investigation continues after 2nd Cabinet member leaves - The Garden Island.State political investigation continues after 2nd Cabinet member leaves In the wake of a second top administration official stepping down amid an ongoing criminal investigation, Gov.Josh Green’s office said it is not aware of any other state agency or individuals being included in the probe and that the governor is not “involved in the investigation in any way.” On Tuesday, Green told Ryan Yamane, a former state legislator and the governor’s 2024 appointee to lead the Department of Human Services, to step down after Yamane was questioned about allegations of public corruption involving Hawaii’s COVID-19 testing contracts during the pandemic.Yamane’s abrupt departure came less than a month after Lt.Sylvia Luke took an indefinite leave of absence without pay and suspended her reelection campaign after receiving a target letter from the state Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division.Luke announced her leave April 23 after meeting with Green.On Friday, Hawaii Attorney General Anne E.Lopez issued her biweekly update on the public corruption probe, which began in January after the U.S.Department of Justice shared evidence from its separate, ongoing investigation into public corruption.According to Lopez’s statement, the Special Investigation and Prosecution Division, which has issued multiple subpoenas and interviewed more than 18 people, continues to review “records, conduct interviews and evaluate information obtained through subpoenas.” Without mentioning Yamane stepping down, she said that recent media coverage has generated “additional public interest and speculation regarding the investigation.” Because it remains an active investigation, the Department of the Attorney General cannot “confirm, deny, or respond to reports” about specific investigative steps, including “who may have been interviewed, contacted, subpoenaed, notified” or otherwise involved.“I understand the public interest in this matter and remain committed to providing information when it is appropriate to do so,” Lopez said in her statement.“At the same time, I want to caution the public about relying on unverified claims or details circulating publicly.Protecting the integrity of the investigation and the rights of individuals involved remain essential.” Both Green and Lopez declined Honolulu Star- Advertiser requests for an interview, but the Governor’s Office said the administration is running efficiently on behalf of the people while the state criminal investigation continues.“The governor is not involved in the investigation in any way and was not serving in the Legislature during the period in question,” said Makana McClellan, Green’s communications director.The attorney general’s investigators, “to our knowledge,” have not requested documents from the governor’s core staff, Cabinet or campaign, she said.“The governor has been clear that no one gets a free pass if wrongdoing occurred,” McClellan added.“At the same time, state government continues to function effectively and remain focused on the issues that matter most to Hawaii’s people, including housing, healthcare, public safety, and affordability.“The governor believes it is important that the process be allowed to proceed independently and thoroughly so public trust can be maintained and strengthened.In the meantime, the administration remains fully focused on serving the people of Hawaii.” Target letters Luke, businessman and lobbyist Tobi J.Solidum, and one of Luke’s volunteer campaign treasurers, Leo Asuncion Jr., were emailed target letters by Lopez noting that state investigators had found evidence supporting possible bribery charges.In a Nov.10 news release, Green announced that Asuncion had stepped down as chair of the Public Utilities Commission.He was appointed to the PUC in 2019 by then-Gov.David Ige and had served as chair since July 1, 2022.Solidum is a target of a separate federal investigation for his role in an alleged $7 million fraud involving COVID-19 funding.He reportedly fled to the Philippines.Solidum was a friend and business associate of the late Milton J.Choy, the wastewater executive who went to federal prison for bribing ex-state Rep.Ty J.K.Cullen and Senate Majority Leader J.Kalani English, who both served time in federal prison.Luke dined with Solidum, Cullen and Solidum’s daughter, Kristen Pae, on Jan.20, 2022.Cullen was working as an FBI informant at the time and recorded the conversation that allegedly centered around $35,000 in campaign contributions to Luke’s campaign for lieutenant governor.COVID testing contracts During the pandemic, then-Lt.Green, who is a medical doctor, was at the forefront of the Ige administration’s response to the crisis, but his spokesperson stressed he was not involved in contracts for COVID-19 testing.“As lieutenant governor, he served in a clinical liaison role during the pandemic response, but had no involvement in the procurement or administration of COVID testing contracts being reviewed,” McClellan said Thursday.In response to Star- Advertiser questions, she said: “Gov.Green’s only known connection to Mr.Solidum dates back more than a decade through healthcare-related community work involving the Hawaii Kidney Foundation and patient-centered medical home initiatives.He does not have a meaningful personal or professional relationship with the individuals (Solidum, Choy and Pae) referenced.” Green and his team do not have information regarding “investigative activity involving other individuals or agencies,” McClellan said.“Questions regarding subpoenas or investigative procedures should be directed to the Attorney General’s office.” Solidum owned and operated Geopolicy Development Group LLC, the only Hawaii-based shareholder of Capture Diagnostics, an Ohio-based company contracted to handle 10,000 to 15,000 COVID-19 tests a day in Hawaii during the pandemic.Capture Diagnostics filed for bankruptcy in federal court in 2025.Solidum worked as a lobbyist for the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii starting in 2015 and was working for it during the pandemic, which began in 2020.Capture Diagnostics’ first major contract in Hawaii in 2020 was with the foundation and Synergy Med Global Design Solutions to provide a mobile COVID-19 laboratory for the City &County of Honolulu at the airport for $166 a test, according to a court filing.Solidum’s Geopolicy Development Group performed “contractual work” in Hawaii for Capture Diagnostics between 2021 and 2023, according to court records.Honolulu contracted directly with the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii to manage and operate the mobile testing lab, and the foundation, in turn, subcontracted with Synergy for the mobile lab and supplies.Kidney Foundation review On Friday, Mari Martin, vice president of development for the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii told the Star-Advertiser that the group started an “independent, third-party review of the COVID testing program” this year after the controversy broke.The review is ongoing and the foundation is committed to providing updates once “findings can be responsibly shared,” she said in a written statement.In response to a question about the ongoing state and federal investigations and federal bankruptcy proceedings, Martin said the foundation “would be willing to provide supporting documentation in connection with any federal or state investigation, subject to applicable contractual, legal, and confidentiality obligations.” “We remain committed to cooperating appropriately while honoring the privacy and legal requirements associated with these matters,” she said.The foundation’s ongoing review is “extensive in scope,” involving interviews and the examination of historical records, contracts, financial documentation, operational procedures and governance practices spanning multiple years and prior leadership periods, Martin said.“Given the seriousness and complexity o