LDP considers making lawmakers pay the total amount of unlisted funds to the national treasury; The scope of the measure could be increased

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to include a clause in its draft proposal to amend the Political Funds Control Law that would force politicians to pay into the national treasury the same amount they are deemed to have unconscionably failed to report in their report on political funds. sources have revealed.

The party is considering expanding the criteria for criminal offenses and holding lawmakers more accountable for overseeing the people responsible for the accounting of their political organizations, in an effort to strengthen penalties against lawmakers.

The LDP will hold a task force meeting of its political reform headquarters as early as Monday. It plans to consolidate opinions within the party and reach a conclusion by the end of the week.

The idea currently being floated is to make those responsible for accounting and lawmakers who imposed criminal sanctions pay. In a series of political fundraising scandals, a secretary to former LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai was convicted of disclosing fundraising income totaling about ¥35 million in the faction’s political fund reports, in violation of the Political Funds Control Act had not mentioned. According to the sources, such cases are expected to be covered under the intended measure.

However, some party members have reportedly argued that the measure should be applied not only to cases that result in criminal sanctions, but also to cases deemed malicious.

The proposed measure to ‘seize’ unreported political funds is intended to address criticism that ‘politicians use hidden funds to line their own pockets’.

However, others argue that depositing political funds into the national treasury could violate a clause in the electoral law for public offices. Accordingly, the LDP will work out the details of the plan, including ensuring consistency with the current election law.

Under the Political Funds Control Act, once the sentences are completed, lawmakers will face penalties such as losing their right to vote and run for office, and losing their jobs. But the current law limits politicians’ liability to situations where they failed to exercise due care in both the “selection and supervision” of accounting staff, for which it may be difficult to provide evidence.

The LDP is considering holding politicians liable if they are negligent in “the selection” or “supervision” of accounting staff, a proposal from its junior coalition partner Komeito. It is expected that the detailed wording will be determined from now on.

The LDP’s reform plan will also include proposals to strengthen third-party audits of political fund reports and increase transparency of the reports through digitalization, such as through online submissions, according to the sources.