Why it Matters

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has registered Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to lobby on defense issues, a new lobbying registration filed in spring 2026. The move signals OHA's intent to engage directly with federal defense policy, an area with significant implications for Native Hawaiian land rights and community programs tied to Hawaii's substantial military presence.

The Big Picture

The new client registration lists no filing amount, which is typical for an initial registration before quarterly activity reports are due. The lobbying team at Akin Gump is four members strong:

  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Senior Policy Director
  • Geoff Verhoff, Senior Adviser
  • Karen Green, Senior Counsel
  • Denise Desiderio, Senior Policy Adviser, who brings prior experience on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee

The lobbying disclosure lists "Defense" as the sole issue area. No specific issues or legislation are identified in the filing. OHA has previously been publicly named as a supporter of the Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act, introduced by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and has administered NATIVE Act grants secured through federal appropriations. Those are distinct from the defense focus of this new engagement, and no direct connection is stated in the filing.

Hawaii hosts one of the largest concentrations of U.S. military infrastructure in the country, and federal defense policy intersects with Native Hawaiian interests in concrete ways, particularly around land use and federal contracts. Rep. Ed Case (D-HI-1), who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, submitted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) testimony in May 2025 flagging defense land needs and lease renegotiation as a priority. That issue carries direct implications for Native Hawaiian land rights. Separately, a January 2026 appropriations press release from Sen. Schatz noted that OHA administers NATIVE Act grant programs that received $1.3 million in new federal funding, underscoring OHA's established role as a recipient and steward of federal resources.

Between the Lines

The Hawaii congressional delegation has been active on defense throughout the past year. The FY2026 NDAA authorized $1.3 billion in new Hawaii military construction, a figure Rep. Case highlighted in February 2026. In December 2025, the full Hawaii delegation wrote jointly to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding an investigation into misconduct at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Rep. Case also explicitly linked Native Hawaiian programs to defense manufacturing and Pearl Harbor Shipyard employment in a February 2026 post about Honolulu Community College. Lobbyist Denise Desiderio's background on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee adds relevant institutional knowledge to OHA's team given the overlap between Native Hawaiian policy and federal Indian affairs frameworks.

The Bottom Line

OHA's new federal lobbying registration on defense issues places it more directly in conversations around military land use, federal contracting, and defense construction in Hawaii. The Akin Gump team, which includes a former member of Congress and a lobbyist with Senate Indian Affairs Committee experience, is positioned to engage across both defense and Native affairs channels. The filing does not specify what outcomes OHA is seeking, but the broader legislative landscape in Hawaii ties defense policy closely to Native Hawaiian land and economic interests.

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