Former Maui lawmaker J. Kalani English pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to taking bribes to shape legislation while in office.

Former state Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English was charged Tuesday in federal court with allegedly taking more than $18,000 in bribes, including cash to introduce a bill and later “kill” legislation involving cesspools in the 2020 legislative session.

According to information filed in U.S. District Court in Honolulu, the bribes from a business owner started at least by 2015 and included several thousand dollars to buy food and drinks for a political gathering, $1,805 for two hotel rooms in Las Vegas in 2019, $500 in cash for a family dinner in 2019, $1,000 in cash to introduce a bill in 2020, $10,000 in cash to delay passage of two cesspool bills in 2020 and $5,000 in cash in 2021.

The retired Maui lawmaker didn’t disclose the bribe payments on the state mandatory gift disclosure statement required for legislators who receive gifts valued at more than $200, according to the information.

English and state Rep. Ty Cullen were each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Cullen, 41, who resigned Tuesday afternoon from his District 39 seat representing Village Park, Royal Kunia, Waipahu, Makakilo and West Loch on Oahu, allegedly took gifts including casino chips starting in 2014 and received four cash payments totaling $23,000 from September 2019 to March 2020.

At a news conference Tuesday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill of the Honolulu office said English and Cullen “allegedly used their positions of trust to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers through bribery.”

Then the two lied to the state by submitting false gift disclosure statements, Merrill said. Because the forms were submitted electronically, federal law applies, said U.S. Attorney Clare Connors of the Hawaii District.

For both legislators, the alleged bribes involved cesspool legislation and were from a business owner identified in court documents as “Person A.” Connors said she couldn’t disclose whether the same business owner was involved in both cases.

Officials said they wouldn’t discuss investigative techniques.

“We do feel confident in our ability to prove bribes were paid,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Sorenson said.

Connors said neither English nor Cullen had been arrested. Hearings would be set for the defendants to appear in court and enter pleas, she said.

“Kalani is extremely remorseful and deeply sorry for his actions,” his attorney, Richard Sing, said in a statement Tuesday. “He has cooperated fully with the federal government and will be taking formal responsibility in the form of a guilty plea to be completed in the coming days.”

English, 54, of Hana had represented the 7th Senate District, which includes Hana, East Maui, Upcountry, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe, from 2000 until he resigned in May. At the time, he said he was dealing with long-term effects after contracting COVID-19 in November 2020.

A spokesperson for the state senate, Jacob Aki, said the senate was “unaware of the situation” until the news broke on Tuesday. He declined further comment.

House Speaker Scott Saiki in a statement announcing Cullen’s resignation Tuesday said “The allegations against former Senator Kalani English and Representative Ty Cullen are very serious and these actions violate the public trust.”

The Hawaii Democratic Party will now need to begin the process of nominating a replacement for Rep. Cullen, Saiki added.

The information alleges that the scheme involving English began in 2015 and continued until January 2021.

He allegedly received bribes from the owner of an industrial service business that had contracts with county governments to provide wastewater management services and products.

The owner asked English to support legislation to create and fund a large project for which the company was one of few that could do the work. After the legislation passed, the owner gave English several thousand dollars to buy food and drinks for a political gathering, according to the information.

Starting in 2019, after English and the owner discussed cesspools and the Cesspool Conversion Working Group that English was a member of, English solicited two hotel rooms in Las Vegas from the owner and agreed to email a working group draft, which wasn’t meant for public distribution, to the owner, according to the information. It said English also asked the owner to host a dinner for English’s family members and received $500 in cash.

In 2020, English allegedly received $1,000 for introducing a bill to make funds available to test waste management technologies, with the business owner thanking English and paying the dinner bill of $592, according to the information.

Later, on March 11, 2020, during a meeting in the business owner’s vehicle, the owner allegedly paid English $10,000 in cash to kill the cesspool bills until the next session. “Well it’s easy to kill bills. It’s hard to pass them,” English reportedly told the owner. English also said he “can make sure it doesn’t move in the money committees.”

On Jan. 14, 2021, English met with the business owner in the owner’s vehicle in the Kakaako area of Honolulu and the owner gave English an envelope containing $5,000 while thanking English for his support, according to the information.

English put the cash in his back pocket and reportedly said, “I can definitely use that right now. All the mortgages have become due.”

Soon after, FBI special agents conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and English unsuccessfully tried to hide the $5,000 under the floor mat, the information alleges.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.