Orita (left) promotes his closeness to Governor Saito in his NOTE There are cases where it can be considered a donation. On the other hand, a member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly stated, “Kawamada was involved in Saito’s election.” Attorney Satoru Fukumoto from Kisaragi Law Office offers an explanation. “If a person seeking to become a candidate in a public election receives paid consulting or similar services, it would be considered bribery under Article 221 of the Public Offices Election Act. Even if it’s voluntary, if during the election period, the person accompanies and connects people, and if the actions are largely based on the know-how of a consulting company, it may be regarded as a donation to the candidate. Volunteering means providing services without payment. A question arises whether a company executive can personally dedicate themselves to volunteering. Corporations are not allowed to make donations directly to individual candidates, and from this perspective, there is a potential issue under Article 21, Paragraph 1 of the Political Funds Control Act.” Attorney Fukumoto also pointed out that the TV station that reported the encounter with the 100-year-old woman could be in violation of the Broadcast Act. “It could potentially violate the Broadcasting Act.” Attorney Fukumoto stated, “The TV station reportedly aired the scene with the intention of covering Saito’s speech. However, the Broadcasting Act’s core principle is that broadcasters must remain impartial, politically neutral, and avoid distorting the facts. Given that Saito was just one of many candidates, was it necessary for the TV station to report the scene with the elderly woman? Reporting must align with the public interest, and whether this was fair reporting is something that should be debated, especially in light of the staged allegations.” With multiple suspicions surfacing and conflicting claims, we earnestly hope the truth will eventually come to light.