The Punchbowl News initially reported that Kahele would leave Congress to run for governor. The first-year MP, who has not yet issued a formal resignation statement, was elected in 2020 to replace Democratic MP Tulsi Gabbard. He was a pilot before running. Kahele was recently targeted for part-time job as a commercial airline pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, raising questions about whether he violated ethics to continue working with the airline. Questions about Kahele’s work with Hawaiian Airlines arose after the Honolulu Civil Beat published an in-depth story examining his participation in the Capitol this year and his personal income since taking office. The report found that Kahele had voted by proxy at least 120 times since the beginning of the year, which means that another legislator voted in his favor. The MP defended the regulation, saying that it complies with the rules of Ethics of the Parliament. His office also explained that he has not voted in person since January because he is worried about new variants of the coronavirus and lives in a multi-generation family home. But his office said he remained committed to his job in DC. Kahele joins more than 40 members of parliament who have announced they will step down at the end of their term. This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.
