Japan PM pledges to restore trust as fundraising scandal engulfs government

FILE PHOTO: Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 2, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) -Embattled Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Monday to restore trust in his government amid reports he is planning to purge ministers embroiled in a fundraising scandal that has dealt a fresh blow to his sagging public support.

The allegations that some lawmakers received thousands of dollars in unreported funds pose one of the biggest challenges in decades for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has held power for almost all of Japan's post-war history.