山田広報官「深く反省」、辞任せず　菅首相長男接待、働き掛け否定―衆院予算委

　菅義偉首相の長男らによる総務省幹部接待問題をめぐり、衆院予算委員会は２５日午前、総務審議官時代に高額な接待を受けていた山田真貴子内閣広報官を参考人として招致し、質疑を行った。山田氏は「公務員の信用を損なったことを深く反省している。本当に申し訳なかった」と陳謝した。立憲民主党の黒岩宇洋氏への答弁。
　山田氏は「今後、職務を続ける中で、できる限り自らを改善したい」と述べ、引き続き内閣広報官を務める意向を示した。
　山田氏は２０１９年１１月、首相の長男を含む放送関連会社「東北新社」関係者と東京都内で会食し、飲食代約７万４０００円は同社が負担。処分対象から外れたが、給与の自主返納となった。
　山田氏は予算委で、確認できる同社関係者との会食はこの１回のみと説明。「放送業界の実情の話はあったかもしれないが、一般的な懇談だった」と語り、不適切な働き掛けはなかったとの認識も示した。（2021/02/25-12:31）

Makiko Yamada, Japan's cabinet public relations secretary, apologized on Thursday for attending an expensive dinner paid for by senior officials of a broadcasting company, including Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's eldest son, when she was working for the communications ministry.
   "I deeply reflect on the loss of confidence in public servants. I'm very sorry," Yamada said at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, where she was summoned as an unsworn witness.
   "I want to improve myself as much as possible while continuing to do my duties," she also said, showing her intention to remain in the current post.
   It has been revealed that Yamada was treated to dinner in Tokyo by Suga's eldest son and other Tohokushinsha Film Corp. -related officials in November 2019, when she was a senior official of the communications ministry. Her portion of the bill, totaling some 74,000 yen, was shouldered by the company.
   She has decided to return voluntarily 60 pct of her monthly salary over the issue, although she was not punished by the communications ministry. The amount to be returned will come to 705,000 yen, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato.