The charges were brought by Chen Chun-sheng, a former Kaohsiung City councillor, who said Hsieh had released a doctored tape to cause Wu Den-yih to lose reelection as mayor of the southern port city. The false revelation resulted in Hsieh's victory in the 1998 Kaohsiung mayoral race.

Prosecutors absolved Hsieh for lack of evidence.

Hsieh claimed Chen had the tape doctored and had put it on the air to help defeat Wu.