Sunday, July 24, 2011

70% of party’s individual donations made by power chiefs, highlighting cozy ties with politicians

Utility execs are major LDP donors

Kyodo

Current and former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and eight other utilities accounted for more than 70 percent of donations made in 2009 by individuals to the Liberal Democratic Party’s political fund management body, according to data.

The power firm executives made no donations in 2009 to the Democratic Party of Japan. The data also show that such donations started as long ago as 1976.

The findings are expected to further stoke public anger over cozy ties between politicians and power companies amid the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

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