Hsu Chia-yun accused of letting family use overseas mission resources; OCAC denies misuse of public funds
The Taiwan People's Party has accused Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Minister Hsu Chia-yun of allowing her husband and son to use overseas mission vehicles and to travel with her official delegations, and has demanded her immediate suspension. The allegations are negative news for the OCAC and the ruling party, but so far rest only on leaked claims and photographs that have not been verified.
- The TPP says Hsu's American husband, David Tawei Tang, drove a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official vehicle across state lines to take their son to New York to meet her, even though he is not a diplomat and is not on the insurance list.
- A second allegation is that when she travelled to Europe in 2022, she brought her son, then 14, along with the delegation under the title of "photography officer" — a position that does not exist at the OCAC.
- The TPP also noted that she has travelled abroad 47 times in four years, consuming nearly 30% of the OCAC's overseas travel budget, leaving overseas personnel overburdened by the hosting duties.
- The OCAC responded that all itineraries, personnel and expenses were declared and settled in accordance with the law and are subject to oversight by auditing authorities, and that there was absolutely no private use or over-claiming.
Outlook: The TPP has called on the ethics units of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the OCAC to open investigations, and attention will now turn to whether the official vehicle usage records and delegation rosters can withstand scrutiny.