Two veteran Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers belonging to the faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received an official recommendation Thursday to leave the party, as it scrambles to reach an internal resolution to a recent slush-fund scandal.
Former education minister and faction chairman Ryu Shionoya and former LDP Upper House Secretary-General Hiroshige Seko faced the toughest punishments among the 39 members formally reprimanded by the LDP for their involvement in the large-scale mishandling of political funds.
An LDP disciplinary panel handed down the reprimands following weeks of debate among the leadership and several rounds of internal investigations.