Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Ann Kao/Facebook
HSINCHU MAYOR Ann Kao of the TPP has come under fire with a fresh wave of corruption allegations.
Some of these allegations are not new, in that Kao was previously accused of embezzling fees meant to pay for subsidizing the salaries of legislative assistants. Kao was accused of embezzling the fees in the name of her boyfriend, Lee Chung-ting. Likewise, Kao was accused of illegally docking the fees of her actual legislative assistants, and using these funds for personal expenses. Kao later defended herself with the claim that these were voluntary contributions from her assistants.
Questions were raised at the time as to why Lee, who makes a salary of more than 6 million NT per year, became implicated in corruption over several tens of thousands of NT. Nevertheless, Lee is now accused of having an undue influence over city politics, including being involved in planning events for the city government.
Ann Kao. Photo credit: Ann Kao/Facebook
Like Kao, Lee is an associate of Terry Gou. Kao originally became a TPP politician through her close association with Terry Gou, during a time in which Ko was courting Gou as a political ally. Lee works for the Yonglin Foundation that Gou founded, as did Kao formerly.
Moreover, Kao has been accused of living a life of luxury–potentially at the expense of the public. Kao is accused of living in an apartment worth more than 50 million NT, and being driven around the city in expensive vehicles such as Porsches and BMWs.
Kao also controversially fired Hsinchu deputy mayor Tsai Li-ching earlier this month while she traveling in Japan. It is still unclear why this took place, though Kao was criticized over firing Tsai while out of the country.
The TPP seems cautious of the potential for the scandal to affect its election prospects. The TPP has announced an oversight mechanism to provide oversight over members who face corruption scandals. This could particularly prove damaging for the TPP, in that the party has staked a great deal of its political reputation on the claim to be politically cleaner than either the KMT or DPP. The TPP later had some controversy with consultancy company Deloitte, which the TPP originally sought to contract to set up the reporting mechanism, but then later did not follow through with the deal. Deloitte has denied pulling out of the agreement due to political considerations.
At the same time, some of the politicians who have become associated with Ko and the TPP have checkered political records. For example, Ko sought out independent Miaoli county magistrate Chung Tung-chin to politically align with him, with Chung having won despite the KMT declining to nominate him.
Yet Chung was not nominated by the KMT because of his past implication in gang-related killings and other criminal activity. Ko may have sought him out because he holds a powerful political position, but such associations may prove a liability for the TPP down the line.
Ko has sometimes attacked TPP party members he seemed to view as threats though. The TPP is mostly comprised of individuals who were already active in politics and were seeking a vehicle for their campaigns that was not either the DPP or KMT, though the party draws more heavily from individuals with political histories in the pan-Blue camp.
Photo credit: Ann Kao/Facebook
Kao would have been most likely to challenge Ko, as the party’s only mayor. To this extent, it is unclear as to what her current relationship with Terry Gou is, with some rumors that ties between the two have worsened. However, regardless, Ko and Gou are increasingly at loggerheads, with Gou declining to withdraw his presidential run to act as Ko’s deputy, and Gou unlikely to do the same for Ko.
It is to be seen whether the series of scandals affect Kao, Ko, or the TPP. It is possible that Kao will emerge unscathed if voters still prefer her to alternatives, or if she is perceived as a populist politician whose many scandals may, in fact, add to her appeal as a candidate rather than detract from it.
Nevertheless, it is more likely that Ko will have cause for concern. Ko is clearly a politician in the populist mode, in that he is popular among supporters because he speaks frankly, often making gaffes and politically incorrect statements, and not in the polished manner of establishment politicians. At the same time, part of Ko’s appeal is his politically clean reputation, in that he has never faced a major corruption scandal. This may explain why Ko is cautious with regard to the potential for the scandal to impact the TPP.