Dirty money: Corruption case highlights Hawaii cesspool mess

By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — A former Hawaii lawmaker is expected in court for sentencing in a federal corruption case that’s drawn attention to a perennial problem in the islands: the tens of thousands of cesspools that release 50 million gallons of raw sewage into the state’s pristine waters every day. Cesspools are at the center of the criminal case against former Democratic state Rep. Ty Cullen. He has admitted taking bribes of cash and gambling chips in exchange for influencing legislation to reduce Hawaii’s widespread use of the in-ground pits for raw sewage. Cullen faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced in U.S. District Court on Thursday.