In an ongoing investigation, the police have captured testimony indicating that Lee, the spouse of independent lawmaker Kim Byung-ki, admitted to receiving illegal political funds during a meeting three years ago, despite her strong denials. The Seoul Metropolitan Police’s Public Crime Investigation Unit recently interviewed former staff members of Kim, leading to the discovery that during discussions about a petition from former district councilors of Dongjak-gu, Lee and councilor Lee Ji-hee acknowledged accepting these funds. This meeting reportedly took place soon after a petition was submitted, asserting that 30 million won was delivered to Kim's camp upon request from Lee and the councilor.

Witness accounts from former staff members reveal that initially, Lee claimed she could not recall the petition's details, but after persistent questioning, she confessed to receiving the money and later returning it. Lee defended the circumstances around the 20 million won she received from a former councilor before the Lunar New Year in January 2020, stating that the councilor frequently visited her home to assist her. However, she denied making any explicit demands for money as per the petition's content.

Additional allegations suggest that Lee Ji-hee, who is close to Kim and supposedly acted as a conduit for the funds, similarly acknowledged receiving money from a former councilor. Concerns arose among the former staff members about the possibility of cash withdrawal records being available, to which the councilor allegedly responded that it was impractical to hand over cash directly from a bank. She further claimed that there was substantial cash available at Lee's home for loans, implying that substantial cash sums were utilized when returning political contributions at Kim's residence, raising further questions about the financial practices of Kim's camp.