View source for Yang Fu-mei

{{Short description|Taiwanese politician}}
'''Yang Fu-mei''' ({{zh|t=楊富美}}; born 1942) is a Taiwanese politician.
==Education==
Yang, a [[Kaohsiung]] native, studied pharmacology at [[Kaohsiung Medical University]] before earning a master's degree in nutrition at [[Columbia University]] in the United States.<ref name="ly5en">{{cite news |title=Yang Fu-mei (5) |url=https://www.ly.gov.tw/EngPages/List.aspx?nodeid=11507 |access-date=30 August 2021 |agency=Legislative Yuan}}</ref><ref name="ly5zh">{{cite news |title=楊富美 (5) |url=https://www.ly.gov.tw/Pages/List.aspx?nodeid=1251 |access-date=30 August 2021 |language=zh}}</ref>
==Political career==
She was a member of the [[Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission]], before serving as a member of the [[Legislative Yuan]], representing overseas Chinese on behalf of the [[People First Party (Taiwan)|People First Party]].<ref name="ly5en"/><ref name="ly5zh"/> During her tenure on the Fifth Legislative Yuan, Yang was critical of [[Twu Shiing-jer]],<ref name="twufight">{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Yu-jung |title=Newsmakers: Twu's fight to the finish impresses |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/10/07/0000171038 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=7 October 2002}}</ref> and underwent a disciplinary review in 2003 because she was absent for a vote to consider postponement of confirmation for new [[Constitutional Court of the Republic of China|Justices of the Constitutional Court]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lu |first1=Fiona |title=KMT rebel blasts party's voting order |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/06/02/2003053622 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=2 June 2003}}</ref> Though Yang originally planned to go on a 2004 European junket led by [[Democratic Progressive Party]] colleagues, to advocate for Taiwan's participation in the [[World Health Organization]], she later chose not make the trip.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Su |first1=Joy |title=KMT lawmakers' departure raises questions of motive |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/03/26/2003107773 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=26 March 2004}}</ref>
In 2011, Yang and her husband [[Kao Tsu-min]] led a petition to convince People First Party chairman [[James Soong]] to run in the [[2012 Taiwanese presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mo |first1=Yan-chih |title=Supporters petition Soong to run |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/08/21/2003511283 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=21 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=楊 |first1=毅 |title=橘亮百萬連署擁宋 新：50萬都不到 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20110821000228-260107 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=China Times |date=21 August 2011 |language=zh}}</ref>
==Controversy==
After Twu Shiing-jer was accused of sexual harassment in 2002, he filed a lawsuit against several of the accusers for libel, and attempted to have Yang listed as a defendant.<ref name="twufight"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chuang |first1=Jimmy |title=Twu targets businessman, PFP legislator in libel suit |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/11/07/0000178620 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=7 November 2002}}</ref>
Yang was one of eight incumbent and former legislators indicted on charges of corruption in 2008, for allegedly accepting bribes from the Taiwan Dental Association in her endorsement of the 2003 Oral Healthcare Act.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Rich |title=Lawmakers charged in dental association case |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/01/29/2003399292 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=29 January 2008}}</ref> The Taipei District Court ruled in October 2010, that none of the accused were guilty. The decision was reversed by the Taiwan High Court in September 2011, which sentenced Yang to seven years and two months imprisonment, and additionally suspended her civil rights for three years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Rich |last2=Wang |first2=Chris |title=DPP lawmaker Tsai, others sentenced |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/09/28/2003514366 |access-date=30 August 2021 |date=28 September 2011}}</ref> Upon appeal, the [[Supreme Court of the Republic of China|Supreme Court]] ordered a retrial of the case, which occurred in March 2015. The retrial found six of the eight defendants, including Yang, not guilty, and a further appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed in March 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title='Not guilty' verdict upheld in dental law lobbying case |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/03/05/2003640866 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=5 March 2016}}</ref>
During the 2014 Taipei mayoral election, television host {{ill|Tsai Yu-chen|zh|蔡玉真}} commented on allegations of forced organ harvesting against physician and independent candidate [[Ko Wen-je]], additionally making statements about Yang and Kao. The former legislators filed a lawsuit against Tsai and network executives in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=指罵前立委高資敏夫妻「不要臉」 名嘴蔡玉真挨告 |url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/1314405 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=Liberty Times |date=11 May 2015 |language=zh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=蕭 |first1=博文 |title=蕭指高資敏是柯p強摘器官案幕後黑手 蔡玉真今出庭 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20150610003218-260402 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=China Times |date=10 June 2015 |language=zh}}</ref> The first ruling held that there was insufficient evidence for Tsai's comments harming the reputations of Yang or Kao.<ref>{{cite news |last1=蕭 |first1=博文 |title=來賓評論太辣 「正晶」挨告獲不起訴 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20160530002919-260402 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=China Times |date=30 May 2016 |language=zh}}</ref> The Taiwan High Court ordered Tsai to pay compensation to Yang and Kao in 2017, after considering other comments that Tsai had made about them.<ref>{{cite news |last1=林 |first1=偉信 |title=酸高資敏「最不要臉立委」 名嘴蔡玉真判賠 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20171114005398-260402 |access-date=30 August 2021 |work=China Times |date=14 November 2017 |language=zh}}</ref>
==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yang, Fu-mei}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the 5th Legislative Yuan]]
[[Category:People First Party Members of the Legislative Yuan]]
[[Category:Party List Members of the Legislative Yuan]]
[[Category:Kaohsiung Medical University alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia University alumni]]
[[Category:Taiwanese expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Taiwanese politicians convicted of corruption]]
[[Category:Taiwanese politicians convicted of bribery]]
[[Category:20th-century Taiwanese physicians]]
[[Category:Politicians of the Republic of China on Taiwan from Kaohsiung]]
[[Category:Spouses of Taiwanese politicians]]