Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (LDP) said to the Diet she cannot deny attending online meetings with a secretary linked to smear videos [1].
The testimony addresses allegations that a member of Takaichi's camp produced short videos intended to defame other candidates. The situation raises questions about the Prime Minister's oversight of her staff and the ethics of digital campaigning in Japan.
During a House of Councillors Budget Committee session on May 5, 2024 [1], opposition lawmakers questioned Takaichi regarding reports originally published by Shukan Bunshun on April 4, 2024 [2]. The reports alleged that a secretary within her camp created and posted the defamatory content.
Takaichi said she had not heard the audio in question but could not completely deny the possibility that a secretary was involved [3]. She said that while she does not deny the possibility of participating in online meetings, she had been informed that she had no personal acquaintance with the secretary [1].
This position contradicts other reports regarding her relationship with the staff member. Takaichi previously said that a secretary had asked her, "Don't you trust me?" in a tone of anger [4]. This interaction suggests a level of personal familiarity that differs from her testimony in the Diet.
Opposition members continued to press for clarity on how a staff member could be integrated into the campaign's digital strategy without the Prime Minister's knowledge. Takaichi said that her reports indicated no prior acquaintance with the individual involved in the video production [1].
“"I cannot deny the possibility, but I have been reported that I have no acquaintance."”
The discrepancy between the Prime Minister's formal testimony and her previous comments regarding the secretary suggests a potential vulnerability in her administration's transparency. If it is proven that Takaichi had a personal relationship with the staff member responsible for the smear campaign, it could lead to further political pressure from opposition parties and a loss of public trust regarding the integrity of her campaign operations.
