Sylvia Luke said Thursday she is taking an indefinite leave of absence without pay as the state investigation she is facing moves forward, setting off a change in Hawaii’s top leadership roles as Gov. Josh Green appointed an acting replacement. Luke said in a written announcement that her decision was not made lightly and that she remained committed to the responsibilities of the office while the process runs its course.
The announcement came after Luke met with Green at the State Capitol, according to the governor’s office. Luke left the governor’s office around 9 a.m. Thursday and did not speak to reporters about the meeting. The governor later said he asked Luke to take leave “until the investigation is resolved, so government can remain focused on serving the people of Hawaii.”
Luke’s planned departure leaves the lieutenant governor’s seat vacant in practice, and the administration said Regan will assume the constitutional duties of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor during the period. Regan, who serves as comptroller of the Department of Accounting and General Services, was previously described as having experience at the Hawaii Tourism Authority and in Maui County. The administration said the designation follows state law on continuity of duties within the lieutenant governor’s office.
Luke’s decision also addressed the allegations at the center of the investigation. In her announcement, she said she understands the allegations “are concerning” and asked for “the public’s understanding and to allow this process to move forward appropriately.” Her statement also indicated that she would not grant interviews during the leave period, and Luke’s attorney had previously said the Attorney General’s Special Investigations and Prosecution Division considers Luke a target.
The investigation, as described through Luke’s attorney’s earlier confirmation, involves $35,000 given to an influential state lawmaker in 2022 and is tied to a broader case that began with federal investigators. Luke’s attorney said the state unit considers her a target, and the federal case described in the reporting involved a wastewater company owner, Milton Choy, who allegedly made payments and provided other gifts to officials in the county’s Department of Environmental Services. Choy later became an informant for federal investigators, leading them to state lawmakers he had bribed, including Ty Cullen and J. Kalani English, according to the account.
Despite the leave, Luke is expected to retain certain security arrangements for now. David Patterson, a spokesperson for the Department of Law Enforcement, said Luke will retain her security detail because she is still the lieutenant governor. Separately, House Speaker Nadine Nakamura said the House would respect Luke’s decision while the investigation continues, adding that she was saddened by news of the lieutenant governor’s situation.
The leadership shift could also affect a signature policy initiative that Luke has promoted as lieutenant governor: Ready Keiki, which sets out a plan to provide preschool access to all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032. Reporting said Luke had successfully led lawmakers in approving a $200 million investment in 2022 to build preschools statewide, and that lawmakers later set aside an additional $120 million to renovate and build more preschool classrooms on public school campuses.
Advocates said they worry that Luke’s absence could reduce political momentum behind universal preschool. Malia Tsuchiya, an early childhood policy and advocacy coordinator at Hawaii Children’s Action Network, said Luke was a key advocate who made significant progress on an issue lawmakers debated for decades, but Tsuchiya said she hoped legislators would continue supporting early learning because the state has a legislative mandate to provide universal access to preschool in the next six years.
The School Facilities Authority said it will keep building preschools regardless of Luke’s role. Executive director Riki Fujitani said the authority will continue constructing classrooms, and the reporting noted that the agency has renovated and constructed 81 preschool classrooms since 2023 and plans to open another 26 classrooms this summer. Fujitani said it remains unclear how much lawmakers will continue to invest, and reporting cited that the authority recently requested $31 million for additional construction, while the current version of the budget sets aside $4.9 million.