Legislator Ker Chien-ming Embroiled in the 2013 Judicial Lobbying Scandal, Sparking the "September Factional War" and Constitutional Crisis

On September 6, 2013, the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors Office hosted a shocking press conference, revealing that Ker Chien-ming—the powerful caucus leader of the DPP—had conspired with the KMT Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Wang Jin-pyng, to illegally lobby Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu and High Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang. Ker requested the prosecution to relinquish their right of appeal in a corruption case involving himself, effectively securing his acquittal. This high-profile "judicial lobbying scandal" sent shockwaves through the country, prompting President Ma Ying-jeou to denounce it as "the most shameful day for Taiwan's democracy and the rule of law." The scandal directly triggered the fierce "September Factional War" within the ruling KMT and plunged the ROC into a severe constitutional crisis. Although Ker escaped judicial prosecution through political maneuvering, the scandal exposed his notorious role as the legislature's "chief fixer" (Qiao Wang), using political clout to compromise the judiciary's independence and fairness—cementing this case as one of the darkest chapters in ROC political and judicial history.