Kishida admits submitting receipts inappropriately over election expenses

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:56 JST, November 24, 2022

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida admitted Thursday morning to having submitted receipts that were missing required information when they were attached to a report on income received and expenditures incurred in his campaign for last year’s House of Representatives election.

Kishida was speaking to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office in response to a media report that he is suspected of having violated the Public Offices Election Law by having attached 94 receipts without the names of payers or descriptions of the expenses.

“Some receipts were insufficient. I have instructed staffers at my office to ensure that this will not happen again,” Kishida said.

The prime minister said that “the treasurer had failed in confirming [the receipts].” He added, “I’ll take appropriate action after consulting with the Election Commission.”

Kishida also said that the expenses themselves were appropriate, and the money was spent on purchasing food, beverages, stationery and other items.

The election law requires the submission of receipts and other documents showing the amount, date and purpose of expenditures related to election campaigns. Kishida’s office announced Thursday that 98 receipts without descriptions had been attached to the report.

Meanwhile, the prime minister denied that he intends to reshuffle his Cabinet before the ordinary Diet session to be held in January in a bid to boost his administration, saying that he is “not thinking about it at all,” despite some media reports that he might do so.