The DPP yesterday suspended Legislator Cheng Yu-chen (
"We have unanimously decided to expel him from the caucus, the severest punishment available," said DPP Legislator Wang Sing-nan (
"The ruling will be valid for the duration of his present term. In addition, we will recommend the party revoke his membership," Wang said.
Cheng flew to Los Angeles on Aug. 7 with his assistant-turned-lover Sophie Wang (
He has said he'd rather quit being a lawmaker than part with Sophie Wang. However, Cheng has continued to collect his legislative salary and expense money.
Wang said he and other colleagues were deeply ashamed of Cheng's irresponsible behavior. Together, they took a deep bow and asked for forgiveness from all DPP supporters.
Many of Cheng's constituents have phoned party headquarters to protest Cheng's affair.
Wang said the suspension has nothing to do with Cheng's private life but is based on the fact that he has failed to fulfill his duty since the current legislative session opened last month.
"It is not right for a legislator to collect prodigious salary and perks without carrying out his duty at all," DPP Legislator Chiu Tai-san (
Under the Legislative Yuan's regulations, lawmakers can only lose their seats if they are voted out of office, die, resign, are convicted of a criminal offense, are impeached or become a Cabinet member, mayor or county commissioner.
Chiu Chang (
Chiu said Cheng had already withdrawn from the caucus on his own accord.
She said several DPP lawmakers are involved in extramarital affairs themselves and so they have no right to judge others.
Chiu said that according to Nevada state law Cheng could seek a divorce in a state court after he has resided in the US state for at least six weeks.
Cheng and Sophie Wang reportedly went through a marriage ceremony in Las Vegas on July 2. During an earlier news conference in Los Angeles, he painted himself as so crushed and disgraced that he would not return to Taiwan until he unravels his romantic entanglement.
"As an old saying goes, a man must mend his household before seeking to serve his country. I don't have the nerve to face my constituents unless I put a end to this mess," Cheng said.
Lu has said she would never agree to a divorce.
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, was arrested in Boston last month amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday. The arrest of Liou was first made public on the official Web site of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday. ICE said Liou was apprehended for overstaying her visa. The Boston Field Office’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) had arrested Liou, a “fugitive, criminal alien wanted for embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes in Taiwan,” ICE said. Liou was taken into custody
The US-Japan joint statement released on Friday not mentioning the “one China” policy might be a sign that US President Donald Trump intends to decouple US-China relations from Taiwan, a Taiwanese academic said. Following Trump’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, the US and Japan issued a joint statement where they reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Trump has not personally brought up the “one China” policy in more than a year, National Taiwan University Department of Political Science Associate Professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民)
‘NEVER!’ Taiwan FactCheck Center said it had only received donations from the Open Society Foundations, which supports nonprofits that promote democratic values Taiwan FactCheck Center (TFC) has never received any donation from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a cofounder of the organization wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday. The Taipei-based organization was established in 2018 by Taiwan Media Watch Foundation and the Association of Quality Journalism to monitor and verify news and information accuracy. It was officially registered as a foundation in 2021. National Chung Cheng University communications professor Lo Shih-hung (羅世宏), a cofounder and chairman of TFC, was responding to online rumors that the TFC receives funding from the US government’s humanitarian assistance agency via the Open Society Foundations (OSF),
ANNUAL LIGHT SHOW: The lanterns are exhibited near Taoyuan’s high-speed rail station and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the airport MRT line More than 400 lanterns are to be on display at the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival, which officially starts in Taoyuan today. The city is hosting the festival for the second time — the first time was in 2016. The Tourism Administration held a rehearsal of the festival last night. Chunghwa Telecom donated the main lantern of the festival to the Taoyuan City Government. The lanterns are exhibited in two main areas: near the high-speed rail (HSR) station in Taoyuan, which is at the A18 station of the Taoyuan Airport MRT, and around the Taoyuan Sports Park Station of the MRT