堀井議員を任意聴取　香典提供の認識確認―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＝が選挙区内の複数の有権者に香典などを提供したとされる公選法違反事件で、東京地検特捜部が堀井氏から任意で事情聴取したことが２１日、関係者への取材で分かった。香典配布について認識などを確認したとみられる。
　特捜部はこれまで、公選法違反容疑で堀井氏の議員事務所や自宅などを家宅捜索するとともに、元秘書らからも任意で聴取した。
　関係者によると、堀井氏は２０２２年ごろ、秘書らを通じ、選挙区である北海道９区（苫小牧市など）内の複数の有権者に対し、自身の名前が書かれた香典（１万～数万円）や枕花を渡した疑いが持たれている。違法性が疑われる寄付の総額は数十万円分に上るとみられる。（2024/07/21-21:22）

Public prosecutors have questioned House of Representatives lawmaker Manabu Horii on a voluntary basis over funeral money allegedly given to voters in his constituency, informed sources said Sunday.
   The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is believed to have asked Horii to give his perception about the provision of funeral money, according to the sources.
   On Thursday, the prosecutors raided Horii's offices in Tokyo and the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido as well as his home, on suspicion of violating the public offices election law. The 52-year-old lawmaker, elected from the Lower House's Hokkaido proportional representation bloc, quit the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the same day.
   A former secretary to Horii was also questioned on a voluntary basis.
   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.