柿沢議員側、運動員買収疑い　１０人以上に報酬９０万円―区長選巡る公選法違反事件

　東京都江東区長選を巡る公選法違反事件で、自民党衆院議員の柿沢未途前法務副大臣（５２）側が、木村弥生前区長（５８）の陣営スタッフら１０人以上に計約９０万円の報酬を支払ったとみられることが２４日、関係者への取材で分かった。
　東京地検特捜部は、同法が買収行為として禁じる選挙運動員への違法報酬に当たる疑いもあるとみて、柿沢氏の秘書や木村氏陣営のスタッフらから事情を聴いている。（2023/11/24-11:13）

Staff of former State Minister of Justice Mito Kakizawa likely paid around 900,000 yen to over 10 people, including electioneers for former Koto Mayor Yayoi Kimura, over a Tokyo mayoral poll, sources said Friday.
   The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is interviewing some people, including a secretary to Kakizawa and members of the Kimura camp, suspecting that the payments may constitute illegal remuneration to election campaign staff, banned as vote-buying under the public offices election law.
   Kakizawa, 52, a House of Representatives lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, resigned as state minister of justice last month to take responsibility for advising Kimura's team to run paid online advertisements asking residents to vote for her in the Koto mayoral election April 23.
   Kimura, 58, won the Tokyo ward's leadership but left the post earlier this month for an alleged breach of the law through the ads.
   Under the law, all election-related activities before the official election campaign period kicks off are prohibited, as are payments to campaign staff.