2 more ministers acknowledge political fund improprieties

Mochizuki is blaming his late wife for this ? That's low - even for an Abe minister ...

No surprises there, Im sure each and everyone in the cabinet has been involved in some kind of scandal.

How about we just start with a new fresh diet. First, no nepotists!

So, he's blaming his wife? Is he asking her to step-down from the marriage so she can replaced?

Improprieties? Thats just a nice word for stealing.

Income and expenditure reports in question are for 2008 and 2009, and 6.6 million yen in expenditure for party fees and other expenses were reported as costs for holding new-year parties, media said.

If I'm reading this right, this guy claimed 6.6 million yen, of tax payers money, on two parties?? This some how went unnoticed for 5 years? What a crock! I'm sick and tired of reading about these parasites stealing from us.

Japan wants to start reducing its debt? Start with taking away the expense accounts of politicians like Mochizuki.

Nothing will change because the people needed to make the change are the same corrupt nepotism crowd, 6.6 mil on 2 parties? Hello please take an envelope and drinks are over there, feel free to grope those just legal girls in school uniforms over there.wink wink.

It seems that Abe's Cabinet must be full of ministers who can't handle their own affairs. So, why doesn't he get rid of all of them and start all over again, carefully selecting who is capable of handling not only his/her own affairs but also those of the country, too. If he can't do this, why doesn't he just dissolve the parliament and toss the whole mess back in the voters' hands. Seems that it's time for another general election anyway ...

Abe looking for a way out, cause a big fuss and resign over it making it look like not your fault you resigned, I give me 30 days before he's out

I think all spending (with original receipts) should be made public for ALL government officials. They should be fully accountable for every single Yen of tax payers money that they swindle & siphon off (whoops I mean spend)...

I mean, we are all fully scrutinized each year by those kind people over at the tax offices, so why should they be treated any differently?

@Soka

Or even simpler, give every official an official credit card and upload every transaction to a website that can be accessed by anyone.

Regrettable - did not realise - misunderstanding - consider ways to improve - apologise to voters...

The regular expressions of Japanese politicians and bureaucrats.

One day we might see a heading, 'Only 2 ministers found to have political fund improprieties,' quickly followed up by pigs seen flying over Mt. Fuji....

Also, a political group affiliated with Haruko Arimura, minister in charge of women’s empowerment, received 600,000 yen in donations in 2011 and 2012 from a company that was fined for tax evasion, Japanese media reported on Monday. Arimura said that the donations were made before the tax evasion case, and that the money had already been returned, public broadcaster NHK said.

???

Ok, someone please explain to me why Arimura would have had to return these donations.

@wanderlust

At least they recognise what they've done and apologise.

Back in the UK, politicians seem more concerned that they've been caught out, and are either bewildered or angry when the unwashed masses dare to complain....

Sooner or later no one will be left in town.

"Mochizuki said there were no illegal expenditures involved."

You have to love how what he did was illegal, but he just says, "Nope. Wasn't illegal. Oh, and it's my dead wife's fault!"

Both said they intend to stay in their jobs? What they have done is far more serious than giving away some paper fans, yet Abe will most likely continue to support them.

Perhaps it would simplify matters a bit if the wire services would only regard it as newsworthy when Abe cabinet ministers aren`t in hot water for financial improprieties.

Still only scratching the surface, the politicians in both major parties have all had their grubby little fingers in the till one way or another.

It is in their blood to be corrupt, take back handers, cook the books, fiddle with figures and generally use any "creative accounting" required at the time to line their and their friends pockets.

Dig deeper there are more stories to be uncovered here, its like a copper mine the deeper you dig the more you will find, and it is deep, the political scene here is riddled with this type of behaviour.

Abe's cabin ate is a nest of crooks. Surprise, surprise.

Not again, please!

It seems to me that these ministers who knowingly circumvented the laws have much less honor and integrity than the two resigned female counterparts in Abe’s admin weeks ago.

However, even those two moral-less guys are able to hang in there a bit longer, they are, in essence, damaged goods already not just themselves but also the whole country.

It looks like that Abe & co did not bother to vet his political friends and allies before putting them into second cabinet. This may beg the questions about Abe’s judgment as well as sloppiness.

The flood gate is open, there could be more to come in coming day or months, I am afraid that Abe may face the similar situation as he dud in his first stint of PM. Yes, He can hang in there this time around like these two disgraced minsters, but again, that may make him a much less effective leader for Japan than months ago, in the meantime dragging his reputation with him in the eyes of international community.

EthanWilber in the meantime dragging his reputation with him in the eyes of international community. Sadly mistaken if you think the rest of world would be surprised, it's just a fact of life like doing bussiness politics is the same. These people aren't in it for the good will.

Who called it?! I remember someone saying it was just the tip of the iceberg when Obuchi was ratted out.

Or even simpler, give every official an official credit card and upload every transaction to a website that can be accessed by anyone. excellent idea, there spending taxpayer monies and the public have a right to see where that money is going.

Yes, let's definitely argue about a couple million yen here and there, when you have a stimulus package and pensions to the largely ineffective aging population in the billions.

Seems like everyone here is penny-wise, dollar-foolish.

2 more ministers acknowledge political fund improprieties

Honestly, who is surprised or even really cares at this point? There is absolutely no news anymore when a J-politician is caught breaking the law.

Who called it?! I remember someone saying it was just the tip of the iceberg when Obuchi was ratted out.

NathalieB -- I believe I was among the posters who made a similar comment then. And I got a bunch of "thumbs-down" for it at the time. Guess some people's rose-colored glasses when it comes to Japan, and specifically its politics, simply do not allow them to grasp reality. And the shame of it is is that Japan is a country of good, hard-working people, and the politicians, who's salaries they pay, can only think of their own well-being. So anyone believing these same politicians are capable of seeing the "big picture" and making the hard choices needed to reform Japan are simply delusional.

Right, now let's start on the municipalities of Tokyo. I'd like to know exactly where these exorbitant taxes are going...

@Wildwest,

" Sadly mistaken if you think the rest of world would be surprised, it's just a fact of life like doing bussiness politics is the same. These people aren't in it for the good will."

I do see your point and fully understand that politicians in Japan and anywhere else are hardly role models for the general public.

But please hear me out, in the US, the president’s transition team with FBI’s help would normally vet the candidates carefuuly for the top posts of the cabinet. In the past, there were plenty examples that some short-listed candidates failed because he or she could not pass the strident standards.

Now let’s be back to Abe’s case, his transition team apparently did a very poor job in terms of screening the candidates, and Abe himself also bears plenty of blame because he closes his eyes to the matter.