Hawai‘i State Ethics Commission

All state legislators, state employees, and state boards and commission members must take an ethics training course and repeat the course every four years. Certain high-level state officials are required to take a live training course; everyone else can take the self-directed course. Lobbyists must complete lobbyist training before they register with the Commission and every ...
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General Ethics Ethics for Board & Commission Members Ethics for State Government Attorneys Lobbyist Law

The Commission has the authority to assess administrative fines and other administrative penalties. Following a contested case hearing and the issuance of a Decision and Order, the Commission may also refer the matter to the State Attorney General to pursue other legal and equitable remedies relating to state contracts, or any fee, compensation, gifts, or ...
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If there is evidence of a violation, a complaint may lead to an administrative enforcement action in which the Commission issues a formal Charge against the alleged violator. The Commission also has the authority to issue notices of violation in cases where the assessed fine is under $1000.

Commission staff will conduct a preliminary review of the complaint to determine if it falls within our jurisdiction, and where appropriate, may request Commission approval to initiate a formal investigation with the power to subpoena witnesses and documents. If the complaint does not fall within our jurisdiction or does not warrant further action, the Commission ...
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Yes. If you use the online form, you may enter an alias name and email address if you prefer to remain anonymous. If you do not provide sufficient contact information, the Commission may not be able to verify your allegations and proceed with the investigation.

Yes. By law, all investigations regarding potential violations of the State Ethics Code or the State Lobbyist law are conducted on a confidential basis, so if you report a potential violation, your identity will not be disclosed. To ensure the integrity of the investigation, we are not permitted to disclose the status of our investigations ...
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When filing a complaint, please provide specific information including: the name of the alleged violator and contact information; the nature of the alleged violation (including when it occurred and a short summary of the key facts); and any supporting evidence (including possible witnesses and supporting documents).

Please use the online complaint form which is the easiest and quickest way to file a confidential complaint with our office. You can also lodge a report by phone (808-587-0460), email ([email protected]), or mail (1001 Bishop Street, #970, Honolulu, HI 96813).

We do not have legal authority to investigate complaints against federal or county government employees. If you have a complaint about a county employee, please contact the relevant county ethics agency or board. We do not handle general complaints against private individuals and companies such as: Landlord/tenant disputes Complaints against federal or state court judges, ...
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