LDP Issued 130 M. Yen for Secret Expenses Ahead of 2024 Election

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)--Ahead of the 2024 House of Representatives election in Japan, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party issued a total of 130 million yen for so-called policy activity expenses, according to political funds reports released by the internal affairs ministry on Friday.

The policy activity expense scheme has been questioned as a hotbed of slush funds. Under the scheme, political parties provide funds to individual politicians with no obligation to disclose how the funds are used.

Following a slush fund scandal involving LDP factions, then LDP President and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to reform the controversial scheme during the Lower House election campaign.

After taking office on Oct. 1, 2024, Ishiba dissolved the Lower House on Oct. 9 for the general election later that month.

According to the 2024 political funds reports, the LDP provided then Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama with 30 million yen on Oct. 7 and 100 million yen on Oct. 8, both under the policy activity expense scheme.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]