The Liberal Democratic Party took disciplinary actions against 39 lawmakers in response to a political fund scandal, with some of the strictest punishments reserved for senior members of the Abe faction. The Party Ethics Committee made the decisions during a meeting held on April 4, where measures such as urging certain individuals to exit the party and suspending membership were handed down.
Among the affected lawmakers were Ryu Shionoya, who leads the Abe faction’s executive board, and Hiroshige Seko, a former secretary-general of the LDP's Upper House caucus, both of whom were pressured to depart from the party. Shionoya, in his statement, expressed disagreement with what he considered a heavy and unjust punishment, criticizing the party's management as dictatorial. The disciplinary actions were rooted in the lawmakers' failure to disclose certain revenues from their faction’s fundraising parties, with some members accused of jeopardizing public trust in politics.
The penalty also extended to members of the Nikai faction, with lawmakers like Ryota Takeda facing repercussions for their involvement in the scandal. The LDP aimed to hold accountable those individuals who could have halted the dubious practice of redirecting excess party ticket sales back to lawmakers. Despite the involvement of high-profile figures like former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calls for strict penalties and accountability were directed at those involved in perpetuating the practice even after warnings to cease.