Seiji Maehara

Shortly after becoming Democratic Party leader, Maehara encouraged the party's candidates to seek endorsement from Yuriko Koike's new Party of Hope, effectively suspending the fielding of candidates under the DP label. The exclusion of candidates considered too liberal and the Party of Hope's poor results fractured the opposition and sparked strong criticism of his strategy. Maehara resigned.

State of the evidence

Political decision, strong internal opposition and resignation documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Direct political responsibility as Democratic Party president

The opposition questioned Maehara over several million yen in expenses declared by a political organisation registered at a residential address linked to his secretary, suggesting that it might not have been a genuine office. The matter was debated in the budget committee.

State of the evidence

Parliamentary question documented; allegation that the office was fictitious disputed

Legal status — source text

No personal conviction identified in the sources considered

Attribution

Political responsibility for the group's reports; allegation that there was no genuine office disputed

The financial report of an organisation linked to Maehara stated that a company had purchased 500,000 yen in tickets to a fundraising event. The company named denied the purchase. Maehara's associates explained that two similarly named companies had been confused and announced a correction.

State of the evidence

Reporting inaccuracy acknowledged and corrected

Legal status — source text

No personal conviction identified

Attribution

Political and accounting responsibility for his organisation; fraudulent intent not established

Maehara resigned as Foreign Minister after acknowledging that his organisation had received donations from a South Korean permanent resident, which is prohibited by Japanese political funding law. He subsequently said that he had identified further payments from foreign nationals or a foreign-led company and had refunded them.

State of the evidence

Donations acknowledged and refunds documented

Legal status — source text

The law prohibits foreign donations; no personal criminal conviction found in the sources considered.

Attribution

Personal political responsibility; knowledge of donors' nationality disputed

A DPJ lawmaker used an email in the Diet as purported evidence that a Livedoor executive had ordered a payment of 30 million yen to the son of an LDP official. The document proved to be fake. Maehara, then DPJ president, was strongly criticised for supporting the allegations and delaying a correction of the party's position; he eventually resigned.

State of the evidence

Fake document acknowledged and political crisis documented

Legal status — source text

No personal criminal conviction of Maehara in this case

Attribution

Responsibility as party leader for supporting the allegation for too long; no evidence that he fabricated the email