Kahele defends dual role as member of Congress and Hawaiian Airlines pilot, along with proxy voting record

Rep. Kai Kahele defended his part-time work as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, saying the arrangement complies with House Ethics rules, and attributed his lengthy absence from the Capitol to the pandemic after questions arose about whether he was breaking any ethics rules for continuing his work with the airline.

Members of Congress are limited to earning a maximum of $29,895 from outside sources of income in 2022, according to rules set by the House Ethics Committee. In a statement, Kahele's office said the Hawaii Democrat had earned $29,151.79 from Hawaiian Airlines in 2021. And so far this year, Kahele has flown three flights for a total of 14.2 flying hours, earning less than $2,861.90.

His outside income also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest, since Hawaiian Airlines has business before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Kahele serves on that committee, which has jurisdiction over the airline industry.