KOBE — Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito was again scrutinized days after his re-election, this time over his dealings with a public relations firm, a possible violation of election law.
Saito said at a press conference on November 27 that the approximately 700,000 yen ($4,600) he paid the company was a “legitimate payment” under the Public Office Election Law.
Under the law, candidates are not permitted to pay remuneration for campaign activities in principle.
Exceptions include registered activists and those who call for votes on board campaign vehicles.
The company president wrote about the role she played in Saito’s campaign on the online publishing platform “note” on November 20, three days after the election.
The president said she was responsible for “general public relations” and was the “editorial supervisor” of Saito’s four official social media accounts, and that she managed these accounts with her team developing content strategy and planning.
The post raised questions why payments for such services could be considered vote buying.
The Ministry of Home Affairs states that if a company is involved in “independent and discretionary political planning” for campaign websites and social media, remuneration to the company could constitute vote buying.
At the press conference on November 27, Saito, 47, emphasized that he paid for posters and other goods that the company produced for the campaign.
The governor said he was “a little perplexed” by the president’s post because he hadn’t heard about it in advance.
Tsukasa Okumi, a lawyer representing Saito, met separately with reporters on November 27.
Okumi said the company president was involved in campaign activities such as creating social media accounts to support Saito and recording videos of his speeches.
But he argued that no payment was made for these services and that no promises to pay were made either. And, he added, no contracts were signed.
He said the president was involved “as an individual volunteer.”
Okumi said that some parts of her online post were “true” but other parts were “false” and that certain parts were “exaggerated.”
He said Saito did not entrust the company with developing a social media strategy or responsibility for “general public relations.”
The lawyer added that Saito’s campaign “independently” managed social media accounts.
Okumi also explained Saito’s exchanges with the public relations company, based in Hyogo Prefecture.
Saito visited the company through a presentation to a supporter on September 29.
Three days earlier, he was forced to vacate his post as governor after the province’s assembly voted unanimously in favor of a motion of no confidence against him over workplace bullying and allegations of corruption.
Saito announced his candidacy for the subsequent elections.
In early October, Saito asked the company to produce posters and other products.
The company’s bill arrived on October 31, when the official campaign began.
About 715,000 yen, including consumption tax, was paid via bank transfer from an account in the name of Saito’s supporters’ organization.
The bill listed: 100,000 yen for planning and production of key visuals; 150,000 yen for brochure design and production; 50,000 yen for poster design and production; 300 thousand yen for producing slides about campaign promises; and 50,000 yen for design and content production for a campaign newsletter.
The company’s president, who serves on three provincial government committees, received 150,000 yen as an honorarium.
The Public Office Electoral Law prohibits donations from one party to certain types of contracts accompanied by “special profits” with the provincial government.
Some experts argue that if services for which remuneration must be paid are provided free of charge, these services will be considered donations.
Okumi said the president’s services to Saito’s campaign were not illegal.
He said that the company did not receive a contract directly from the provincial government and that the fee was small.
The public relations firm said on November 22 that it declined interview requests from any media organization.
Saito’s campaign attracted attention online. The number of his followers on social media platform X has soared to about 243,000, up from about 78,000 before the election.
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