Abuse of Public Power for Campaigning: Representative Lin Chun-hsien Accused of Pressuring Ministry of Finance for Private Corporate Tax Data

Around June 25, 2018, the KMT legislative caucus held a press conference accusing DPP Representative Lin Chun-hsien of abusing his legislative power to pressure Ministry of Finance officials. The caucus alleged that during the politically sensitive controversy over KMT New Taipei mayoral candidate Hou You-yi's Wenhua University dormitory, Lin summoned ministry officials to demand a decade's worth of detailed tax records for "Youyu Company," which was owned by Hou's wife. The action raised severe concerns over the violation of tax neutrality and the abuse of public power. Critics slammed Lin for leveraging his legislative privilege to turn national administrative machinery into a political tool for partisan mudslinging, violating the strict privacy laws governing tax records. Although Lin strongly denied the allegations, claiming he only demanded the ministry investigate potential tax evasion without seeking confidential information, his sensitive meeting with officials was widely condemned as an abuse of power for political warfare.