A grand jury has indicted Hawaii's Democratic lieutenant governor on bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from an alleged $70,000 payoff scheme, and her own governor is now calling on her to step down.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke faces charges of criminal conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying candidate committee reports after a state investigation led by Attorney General Anne Lopez. Four co-defendants were swept up in the same probe, which Fox News Digital reported grew out of a separate federal bribery investigation.

The case centers on a January 2022 meeting at a steakhouse where local businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum allegedly handed Luke two $5,000 checks made out to her campaign committee, "Friends of Sylvia Luke." The indictment alleges Solidum promised a total of $70,000 and was working to secure a COVID-19 testing contract for a client, the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, whose state contracts were about to expire.

Hours after the indictment became public, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a fellow Democrat, called on Luke to resign. Green told Maui Now:

"The lieutenant governor needs to consider formally resigning to address this matter and so that the state of Hawaiʻi can move forward."

Luke has not resigned. In a social media post, she denied wrongdoing.

Solidum allegedly bragged about buying influence

The indictment paints a picture of a lobbyist who believed cash was the price of access. Solidum allegedly told Luke at the steakhouse meeting, "By next week, we'll have 35, so it will be halfway to our 70", an apparent reference to $35,000 as a midpoint toward the full $70,000 he promised.

Luke's alleged response, as captured in the indictment: "Oh wow" and "That's terrific."

Solidum's confidence in the arrangement apparently extended beyond Luke. The indictment alleges he told another state representative, "All I gotta do is give her more money now." That other lawmaker, former state Rep. Ryan Yamane, was also indicted.

Three other defendants round out the case: Yamane, Ford Fuchigami of the Hawaii Transportation Department, and Leo Asunción, a former official with the state's public utilities commission. The specific charges against the co-defendants were not detailed in available reporting.

The indictments against public officials in Hawaii follow a broader pattern of politicians facing legal jeopardy across the country. In Louisiana, a grand jury indicted the state's attorney general on separate charges, though the political dynamics and outcomes in that case have played out very differently.

Luke admits taking the checks but denies any quid pro quo

Luke acknowledged accepting the two $5,000 checks from Solidum but insisted no money ever influenced her work as a lawmaker. In her social media statement, she said:

"I never granted special favors to a contributor."

She also said she had prized integrity and honesty throughout her career. But the gap between that claim and the indictment's allegations is wide. Accepting $10,000 in checks from a lobbyist whose client needed state contract renewals, at a steakhouse meeting, is a set of facts that speaks for itself, regardless of what Luke says she did or did not do in return.

The indictment does not detail what specific official actions, if any, Luke allegedly took on behalf of Solidum's client. That question remains unanswered, along with whether Luke has entered a plea.

Fox News Digital contacted both the governor's and lieutenant governor's offices for additional comment. No response was reported.

AG Lopez's probe grew from a federal investigation

Attorney General Anne Lopez launched the investigation that produced the indictments. All five defendants were swept up in what Lopez's office described as an offshoot of a federal bribery probe. The scope and status of that federal investigation remain unclear.

The state-level charges against Luke, conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, and falsifying campaign reports, suggest prosecutors believe the scheme went beyond a single steakhouse handshake. The falsification charge points to an effort to disguise the payments through Luke's campaign committee, though the indictment's full details on that count were not described in reporting.

Democrats have faced uncomfortable questions in recent months about accountability within their own ranks. Whether the issue is noncitizens on voter rolls or alleged bribery in state government, the party's leadership has been slow to demand consequences from its own members, until the evidence leaves no other option.

Gov. Green's swift call for Luke's resignation is notable precisely because it breaks that pattern. He did not equivocate. He did not wait for a trial. He said the state needs to move forward. Whether Luke listens is another matter.

The case also raises questions about how COVID-era government spending, rushed contracts, emergency procurement, billions flowing with minimal oversight, created fertile ground for exactly this kind of corruption. A lobbyist with an expiring contract, a lawmaker running for higher office, and a steakhouse meeting with checks in hand: the indictment reads like a textbook example of what happens when public money moves fast and accountability moves slow.

Across the country, politicians facing criminal charges have responded with everything from defiance to resignation. Luke so far has chosen defiance, insisting she did nothing wrong while a grand jury says otherwise.

The broader question, whether Democratic leaders will hold their own accountable or circle the wagons, will be answered in the weeks ahead, as the case moves toward trial and Luke decides whether to fight from office or from the outside.

Voters in Hawaii sent Sylvia Luke to the second-highest office in the state. A grand jury now says she sold her public trust for campaign checks at a steakhouse. If that is not a resignation-worthy moment, it is hard to imagine what would be.