The Liberal Democratic Party suspended former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka from the party for two years Thursday, effectively kicking the popular lawmaker out of the party.
The LDP Ethics Committee said the punishment was taken because Tanaka did not cooperate with party operations, including a probe it launched into her financial affairs due to allegations she misappropriated the government-paid salaries of her secretaries.
The House of Representatives lawmaker is the first in the LDP to receive suspension as punishment.