KOBE—Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito again came under scrutiny days after his re-election, this time over his transaction with a public relations company, a possible election law violation.

Saito told a news conference on Nov. 27 that the approximately 700,000 yen ($4,600) that he paid to the company was a “legitimate payment” under the Public Offices Election Law.

Under the law, candidates are not allowed to pay remunerations for campaign activities, in principle.

Among the exceptions are registered campaigners and those who call for votes aboard campaign vehicles.

The company’s president wrote about the role she played in Saito’s campaign on the online publishing platform “note” on Nov. 20, three days after the election.

The president said she was in charge of “overall public relations” and was the “editorial supervisor” for Saito’s four official social media accounts, and that she managed those accounts with her team developing strategy and planning content.

The post raised questions because payments for such services can be considered vote-buying.

The internal affairs ministry says if a business is engaged in “independent and discretionary policy planning” for websites and social media for campaigning, remunerations to the business could constitute vote-buying.

At the Nov. 27 news conference, Saito, 47, emphasized that he made the payments for posters and other goods the company produced for campaigning.

The governor said he was “slightly bewildered” by the president’s posting because he had not heard about it in advance.

Tsukasa Okumi, a lawyer who represents Saito, met separately with reporters on Nov. 27.

Okumi said the company president was engaged in campaign activities, such as creation of social media accounts for supporting Saito and shooting video of his speeches.

But he argued that no payments were made for those services and that no promises for payments were made, either. And, he added, no contracts were concluded.

He said the president was involved “as an individual volunteer.”

Okumi said some parts of her online post were “true” but other parts were “untrue,” and that certain parts were “exaggerated.”

He said Saito did not entrust the company with developing a social media strategy or taking charge of “overall public relations.”

The lawyer added that Saito’s campaign “independently” managed the social media accounts.

Okumi also explained Saito’s exchanges with the public relations company, which is based in Hyogo Prefecture.

Saito visited the company through a supporter’s introduction on Sept. 29.

Three days before that, he was forced to vacate the governor’s post after the prefectural assembly unanimously voted for a no-confidence motion against him over workplace bullying and corruption allegations.

Saito announced his candidacy for the subsequent election.

In early October, Saito asked the company to produce posters and other goods.

A bill from the company arrived on Oct. 31, when official campaigning started.

About 715,000 yen, including the consumption tax, was paid through a bank transfer from an account in the name of Saito’s supporters organization.

The bill listed: 100,000 yen for planning and production of main visuals; 150,000 yen for design and production of leaflets; 50,000 yen for design and production of posters; 300,000 yen for production of slides about campaign pledges; and 50,000 yen for design and production of content for a campaign bulletin.

The company president, who serves on three committees of the prefectural government, has received 150,000 yen as an honorarium.

The Public Offices Election Law bans donations from a party to certain types of contracts accompanied by “special profits” with the prefectural government.

Some experts say if services for which remunerations should be paid are provided free of charge, those services are deemed donations.

Okumi said the services the president provided for Saito’s campaign are not illegal.

He said the company has not received a contract directly from the prefectural government and that the honorarium amount is small.

The public relations company said Nov. 22 it has declined requests for an interview from any media organization.

Saito’s campaign attracted attention online. The number of his followers on social media platform X shot up to about 243,000 from about 78,000 before the election.