香典、裏金が原資か　堀井議員の公選法違反事件―東京地検

　堀井学衆院議員（５２）＝比例北海道、自民離党＝が複数の有権者に香典などを違法に提供したとされる事件で、香典は堀井氏の事務所資金から支出された疑いがあることが２０日、関係者への取材で分かった。
　堀井氏はこれまで、自民党安倍派から還流した裏金を事務所運営費や支援者との交際費に充てたと説明しており、公選法違反容疑で捜査している東京地検特捜部は、裏金が香典などの原資になっていたとみて資金の流れを調べている。
　堀井氏は政治資金パーティーを巡る裏金事件で、派閥からの還流分計２１９６万円を２０１８～２２年の政治資金収支報告書に記載していなかったとして、今年４月、党の役職停止１年間の処分を受けた。（2024/07/20-14:24）

The funeral money allegedly given by Japanese House of Representatives lawmaker Manabu Horii to voters in his constituency is suspected of having been paid out of his office funds, according to informed sources.
   As Horii, 52, who used to belong to a now-defunct faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party once led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, explained in January that he used unreported kickbacks from the faction as funds to operate his offices and expenses for socializing with his supporters, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office suspects that the kickbacks were used for the funeral money, the sources said Saturday.
   Horii failed to report in political funds statements 21.96 million yen in kickbacks the faction paid to him by using revenues from fundraising parties between 2018 and 2022. He was suspended in April from LDP executive posts for a year as punishment, and was accused of violating the political funds control law the following month.
   He quit the party after the funeral money scandal came to light last week.
   Horii is suspected of sending his secretary and others to offer condolence money in his name to voters in the Lower House's Hokkaido No. 9 constituency around 2022 in violation of the public offices election law, with the total amount of illegal donations seen reaching hundreds of thousands of yen.