The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) made a significant decision to penalize 39 lawmakers, which included influential figures from the Abe faction, as a result of a political fund scandal that has brought significant repercussions to the party and the administration under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Among those facing disciplinary actions were Ryu Shionoya, the leader of the Abe faction's executive board, and Hiroshige Seko, a former secretary-general of the LDP’s Upper House caucus, who were urged to leave the party, marking one of the strictest sanctions imposed by the LDP for such misconduct.
The controversy stemmed from the failure of 36 lawmakers from the Abe and Nikai factions to disclose amounts exceeding 5 million yen from their faction’s fundraising activities over a five-year period until 2022, which raised concerns about accountability and transparency in political financial reporting. While some lawmakers expressed their dissatisfaction with the severity of the punishments imposed, the LDP underscored the importance of upholding public trust in politics and highlighted that individuals like Shionoya, Seko, Shimomura, Nishimura, and others played a role in perpetuating questionable practices within their factions regarding party ticket sales and revenue reporting. Despite calls for accountability at high levels, Prime Minister Kishida and other party leaders did not face direct repercussions, raising questions about the broader political responsibility in the unfolding scandal.