Senior United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway today sentenced former Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English, to 40 months in federal prison. The 55 year old Maui resident was also ordered to pay a fine of $100,000.
English was sentenced for charges of honest services wire fraud consisting of acceptance of multiple bribes in return for performing, and agreeing to perform, official legislative acts on behalf
of a Hawaiʻi businessperson.
The Department of Justice cited the prosecution’s argument to the court saying, “English was never reluctant about taking money in return for political and legislative favors. English’s behavior signaled that it was systematic and normal for him to accept, and indeed expect, financial benefits in return for legislative favors. It was English who unknowingly initiated the FBI covert relationship with him by reaching out to Person A with a demand for hotel rooms in Las Vegas for English and some of his friends.”
According to the Justice Department, the court also received information that on Feb. 24, 2020, English accepted $1,000 from Person A for assistance with cesspool legislation that could directly benefit Person A’s company, telling Person A that he “should formulate what you would like to see” in the bill.
On March 11, 2020, Person A met with English and offered him $10,000 in cash to kill…
