Things have gone from bad to worse for Fumio Kishida.
Already facing the lowest polling numbers of his tenure atop the government, the last thing the embattled prime minister needed was another scandal, let alone one with a criminal investigation attached to it.
Making matters even more complicated, it involves the Liberal Democratic Party's factions — the same groups that helped Kishida achieve his position atop the government. This latest scandal not only affects his administration, but the LDP’s political fortunes writ large.