Scandal, Resignation, and Comeback
Kiyomi Tsujimoto was one of the chief antagonists of the beleaguered Muneo Suzuki during the scandals that emerged in 2002. Suzuki was ultimately jailed for fraud.
But, as a result of internal tensions between newcomers and veterans in the SDP, a staff member of the Democratic Party of Japan who had formerly worked for the SDP accused Tsujimoto of using her secretary's government salary to cover campaign expenses. Tsujimoto admitted unauthorised use of funds, resigned her seat in the Diet, and was given a suspended sentence.
Her political career was not over. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Councillors in the 11 July 2004 elections, but won a proportional representation seat for the House of Representatives in the 11 September 2005 elections that also returned Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to power.
Suzuki's political fate has run parallel to Tsujimoto's. He also ran unsuccessfully in 2004 for a seat in the House of Councillors but was subsequently elected to the House of Representatives in 2005.
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