Michiyo Stern, one of the two elder sisters of House of Representatives member Takeshi Tokuda, pleaded guilty Friday to illegally aiding his election campaign in 2012.
Stern, 46, entered her guilty plea at the start of her Tokyo District Court trial.
She stands accused of breaking the Public Offices Election Law by allegedly providing some ¥155.6 million in cash or airline tickets to 594 employees of Tokushukai — one of the country's biggest hospital groups and run by the politician's father — to persuade them to join Tokuda's successful campaign for the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.