Photo/Illutration Seiko Hashimoto, an Upper House member who belongs to the Abe faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to reporters on Dec. 11. (Seiko Tago)

Some Abe faction members in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are blasting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over his response to a slush fund scandal, saying he is making criminals out of innocent people.

Kishida has reportedly decided to oust 15 Abe faction members from their posts in his administration. They include Cabinet ministers, vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

Leading members of the faction are suspected of helping to create a slush fund from the sales of tickets to fund-raising parties and using it to provide kickbacks to members.

But some of the 15 targeted members have not been tied to the suspected slush fund.

“I feel sorry for the lawmakers who were elected for the first time and are serving as parliamentary secretaries,” a senior member of the faction said. “They have little to do with the slush fund scandal. I wonder if it is necessary to expel them.”

A mid-career lawmaker who also belongs to the faction had harsher words for Kishda, who is president of the LDP.

“That’s a hell of a bad move,” the lawmaker said.

Those who have served as secretary-general of the faction bear responsibility, but not those who did nothing wrong, the lawmaker said.

“If they are forced to resign, they will be labeled ‘sinners,’” the faction member said.

The Diet member also implied that a political motive was behind Kishida’s response.

“I know it was a leader of another faction who encouraged (Kishida) to wipe out the Abe faction,” the lawmaker said. “I will never forgive that faction. And I will never forgive (Kishida) for accepting it. I want him to immediately resign as prime minister.”

However, one of the 11 lawmakers subject to the purge sympathized with Kishida.

“The Prime Minister’s Office must be in real pain,” the lawmaker said. “It is now in crisis management of the highest order of difficulty.”

However, the lawmaker also grumbled, “But why are we being treated like criminals just for belonging to the Abe faction?”

The slush fund scandal is growing.

Some media reports said that Seiko Hashimoto, an LDP Upper House member and former Olympics minister who belongs to the Abe faction, is suspected of receiving kickbacks of more than 10 million yen ($68,500).

A solemn-looking Hashimoto appeared in front of reporters on Dec. 11 in the Diet building to address the reports.

“I cannot make a statement at this time because an investigation is under way,” she said. “I will fulfill my accountability at the appropriate time after a thorough investigation is conducted.”

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