Lin Chin-hsing

Peter Lin or Lin Chin-hsing is a Taiwanese physician and politician.

During his first legislative campaign in 2001, Lin helped many Kuomintang members who had left the party and considered joining the Democratic Progressive Party, following the KMT's decision to expel its former chairman Lee Teng-hui.

He also led a group of DPP members to gather outside the chamber of the Kaohsiung City Council in support of mayor Frank Hsieh, after hearing about a disagreement between Hsieh and council speaker Huang Chi-chuan.

He was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 2002 to 2008, and faced legal action throughout his time in office, which twice led to his expulsion from the Democratic Progressive Party.

After Lin's legislative colleagues Diane Lee and Yang Fu-mei falsely accused Twu Shiing-jer of assaulting a restaurateur in 2002, Lin initiated proceedings to discipline the pair.

In April 2003, Lin was one of forty people indicted as part of an investigation into voting buying during the December 2002 election of the Kaohsiung City Council speaker and deputy speaker.

Shortly after his indictment, Lin was expelled from the Democratic Progressive Party.

Lin's ex-wife Chang Wen-hsiu stood accused of accepting a NT$5 million bribe from Chu An-hsiung, and Lin was indicted as an accomplice because he was present when the transaction took place.

Prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence for Lin.

The Kaohsiung District Court gave Lin and Chang identical prison sentences of eighteen months.

Upon appeal to the Taiwan High Court, Lin was acquitted of bribery, and announced his intention to rejoin the DPP.

While running for reelection in 2004, Lin campaigned alongside Kuan Bi-ling, Lee Kun-tse, and Tseng Tsan-teng, utilizing a vote allocation scheme that saw all four candidates win.

Su Hui-chen claimed in 2004 that Lin and Hsueh Ling were involved in vote buying during the 2001 legislative elections.

The Democratic Progressive Party formed a task force to probe the allegations.

During the 2005 Taiwanese local elections, Lin Chin-hsing published the medical records of incumbent Taichung mayor Jason Hu, who was seeking reelection.

Hu's party, the Kuomintang, stated that Lin's medical license should be revoked for violations of the Doctor's Law, specifically articles 23 and 25 regarding patient privacy.

Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus whip William Lai observed that what Lin did was "inappropriate and unnecessary," but opined that the judiciary and medical authorities should be responsible for deciding if Lin's actions constituted a violation of the law.

While Hu was pondering his next legal steps against Lin, the Taichung City Government's Medical Doctor Disciplinary Committee suspended Lin's medical license for one year.

Lin argued that the committee had no power to make the decision, because he was registered to practice in Kaohsiung.

Lin soon publicly apologized to Hu.

Annette Lu, acting chair of the Democratic Progressive Party, suggested that Lin face party discipline for his actions.

Hu opted not to pursue further legal action.

In October 2005, Lin's hospital was searched by the Tainan Prosecutor's Office.

Lin and fellow physician-turned-legislator Chiu-Yung-jen were two of 32 people indicted on charges of health insurance fraud.

Subsequently, the DPP suspended both Lin and Chiu's membership.

On 13 April 2006, both were formally expelled from the party.

Lin's trial began in August 2006, and he pled not guilty.

Prior to the 2008 legislative election, Lin was due to receive the Democratic Progressive Party's nomination for Kaohsiung 3, by virtue of leading Lee Kun-tse in opinion polls, but the decision to confirm Lin's nomination was delayed, as he was indicted for health insurance fraud.

Lee eventually defeated Tseng Tsahn-deng in an inter-party opinion poll and obtained the DPP's formal backing.

Lin chose to contest the legislative election as a political independent, and the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, an LGBT rights organization, placed him on a list of candidates to boycott.

He was eventually found guilty in 2008.

During the 2012 presidential election, Lin was a member of the Tsai Ing-wen campaign staff based in Kaohsiung.

Lin was a DPP candidate for Kaohsiung City Council in the 2014 Taiwanese local elections, but was not elected.

Lin earned bachelor's degrees in medical science and pharmaceutics at Kaohsiung Medical University before pursuing two master's degrees in the United States.

He studied epidemiology at Yale University, then enrolled at Johns Hopkins University.

After Lin finished his master's in computer science at JHU, he remained at the university and completed a doctorate in medical policy.

Prior to his political career, Lin operated his own clinic, where he offered free medical care to the poor.

Lin ran as a Democratic Progressive Party candidate for Kaohsiung City Council, but was critical of the Kaohsiung City Government's handling of the 2014 Kaohsiung dengue fever outbreak, as well as companies headquartered in Kaohsiung during the 2014 Taiwan food scandal.

He received 4.56% of the vote, and was not seated to the city council.

Lin aided Chen Chi-mai's campaign during the 2020 Kaohsiung mayoral by-election.