KMT Questions DPP Lawmaker Over Alleged 'Hospital Bed for Billboard' Exchange; Chiang Chao-kuo Denies and Threatens Lawsuit

According to the Central News Agency, KMT Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou questioned today whether a DPP lawmaker received billboard sponsorship in exchange for brokering hospital beds in 2024. DPP Taichung City Councilor Chiang Chao-kuo responded that the billboard location was provided by supporters for years, calling the KMT's claims malicious slander and announcing plans to sue the KMT headquarters.

Yang Chih-tou and Taipei City Council candidate Li Ming-hsuan held a press conference at the KMT headquarters today. Yang stated that in April 2024, a DPP lawmaker received a request from a citizen for hospital bed assistance, and subsequently, the requester and the lawmaker were in contact. He argued that while this might fall under constituent services, the DPP should not pretend to be holier-than-thou by claiming they don't provide such services.

Yang demanded that the DPP lawmaker explain the billboard placed at the high-traffic "Liushun Bridge" in 2025. He urged prosecutors to investigate whether there was any quid pro quo involved in the sponsorship.

In response, DPP Taichung City Councilor Chiang Chao-kuo told reporters at the DPP Taichung City Council caucus office today that the accusations were "bizarre and nonsensical," noting that the billboard shown was blurred. He explained that the location had been provided by supporters for years, and he had used it during his legislative campaign in 2023.

Chiang stated that while representatives often receive requests from patients or families, all medical actions must respect the professionalism of medical staff and hospital systems. He argued that using this to speculate about a quid pro quo is slanderous, adding, "I won't wait for you to send the data to the prosecutors; I will sue the KMT headquarters directly for malicious slander."

KMT Legislator Lo Ting-wei's official LINE account was recently found to offer "hospital bed referral" services, sparking controversy over improper lobbying. Chiang believes the entire incident is an attempt by the KMT headquarters to provide an exit strategy for Lo, who is embroiled in the bed-brokering dispute. He told Lo, "I am not your relief pitcher. If you make a mistake, don't turn around and sue others, slander, or shift the focus."