By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday rejected a media report that he endorsed known criminals for DPP membership.
“I have never referred anyone with a criminal background for membership of the DPP,” Ker said in a press release issued by his office.
The Chinese-language The Journalist magazine yesterday reported that members of the “Sun Gang,” a subsidiary of the Tientaomen (天道盟) criminal organization, were among about 500 recent applicants for DPP membership — all endorsed by Ker.
The magazine said that Ker’s introduction of these applicants was likely to be a preparatory step for next year’s DPP chairmanship party primary.
Ker, who is also a member of the DPP’s Central Standing Committee, said he has never been involved in party factions and has never organized nominal party members.
The DPP’s Keelung office director Chang Chin-huang (張錦煌) confirmed that his office had recently received hundreds of applications for party membership, but that Wu Tung-mao (吳桐茂), brother of the Sun Gang’s alleged leader Wu Tung-tan (吳桐潭), was not among the applicants, as had been reported by the magazine.