At the center of the party donation scandal is an advertising campaign valued at approximately 2.35 million euros, which is said to have been donated to the AfD by former FPÖ official Gerhard Dingler. According to research by the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" and "Der Standard," there is suspicion that Dingler acted only as a frontman for the million-euro transaction. The Feldkirch public prosecutor's office confirmed investigations on Wednesday.

In Germany, the responsible control department of the Bundestag administration is currently conducting a "clarification of facts" in connection with the AfD's large donation from Austria, reported "Der Spiegel" on Wednesday evening, citing a government spokesperson.

Investigations After Million-Euro Donation from Ex-FPÖ Official to AfD Due to Money Laundering

As reported by "Spiegel" and "Standard," according to investigations by Austrian security authorities, businessman Dingler, formerly the state manager of FPÖ-Vorarlberg, allegedly received a "gift" in the millions before his supposed donation to the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) - from the Duisburg-born real estate billionaire Henning Conle. Accordingly, Dingler is said to have presented his bank with a contract a few weeks ago, according to which he received 2.6 million euros as a gift from Conle. When the bank inquired about the purpose of the money, Dingler initially mentioned a real estate project. But shortly thereafter, 2,349,906 euros were transferred from his account to an advertising company in Cologne. The AfD reported the same amount to the Bundestag administration at the beginning of February. The party is being supported with posters in numerous German cities.

According to a "Spiegel" pre-announcement on Tuesday evening, Austrian authorities are now investigating, among other things, the suspicion of money laundering. The Feldkirch public prosecutor's office confirmed such investigations according to the "Mittagsjournal" of ORF radio Ö1 on Wednesday, without disclosing further details. The German Federal Criminal Police Office and the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) are involved in the case, as is the Financial Market Authority (FMA), which is examining the matter due to media reports, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).

AfD Faces High Fine After Million-Euro Donation from Ex-FPÖ Official

According to German party law, so-called straw man donations, where the identity of the actual donor is concealed, are prohibited. If the suspicion is confirmed, the AfD faces a fine for illegal party financing three times the amount of the inadmissible donation. In this case, that would be around seven million euros. Billionaire Conle is said to have residences in Zurich and London as well as a holding company in the Principality of Liechtenstein. He is said to have covertly supported the AfD in the past. The Bundestag administration therefore imposed a fine of almost 400,000 euros on the party in 2020.

A spokesperson for AfD leader Alice Weidel stated that the party and the federal executive board had no indications so far that Dingler was merely a front man. He had informed the AfD before the donation, upon inquiry, that the money for the campaign "comes from his own assets" and the payment "was not made on behalf of third parties." Dingler and Conle initially left inquiries unanswered on Tuesday. AfD treasurer Carsten Hütter added on Wednesday: "As long as there is no evidence for the allegations of a so-called straw man donation, there can be no talk of a donation scandal. He offers full transparency and cooperation to any investigating authorities," said Hütter. Hütter further explained: "Mr. Dingler has repeatedly assured the party that the donation in kind was made from his private assets."

According to AfD, the donation was not a monetary one, but a donation in kind in the form of advertising posters for the AfD. More than 6,000 such posters were reportedly put up nationwide. They are in striking yellow. The Union, SPD, and Greens are attacked on them in migration, energy, or economic policy, and the AfD, classified in parts as right-wing extremist by German security authorities, is recommended as a "civil alternative." Dingler independently arranged this campaign with an "external service provider from North Rhine-Westphalia," said Hütter.

AfD Already Convicted Multiple Times for Party Donations

Party donations in Germany over 35,000 euros must be immediately reported to the Bundestag, which then publishes them, according to dpa. According to the Political Parties Act, parties are not allowed to accept donations "which are clearly the forwarding of a donation from an unnamed third party." If a party violates the donation regulations of the Political Parties Act, hefty fines are threatened. If unlawful donations are accepted, parties must also forward them to the Bundestag by the time the financial report of the respective year is submitted to parliament. If this does not happen, three times the amount of this donation is due.

"So-called straw man donations are prohibited in Germany for good reason, as they conceal the actual donor and thus undermine the transparency of party financing," explained Sarah Schönewolf, spokesperson for abgeordnetenwatch.de on Wednesday. The Bundestag administration stated upon inquiry to dpa: "In the present case, the donation would be inadmissible if the reporting proves to be correct. This would lead to an obligation to immediately forward the value of the poster campaign. Further information cannot be provided at this time for this ongoing procedure." The AfD has already been repeatedly obliged by the Bundestag administration to pay fines for unlawfully received donations in the past.

Criticism from SPD and Greens on AfD

In view of this, the donation raises "very fundamental questions" from the perspective of the German Greens, as the parliamentary managing director of the Bundestag faction, Irene Mihalic, told the "Handelsblatt" (online). In addition to an examination by the Bundestag administration, it must be investigated to what extent there is "an illegal financing system in favor of the AfD, through which possibly large sums of money are laundered," said Mihalic. "If funds from allegedly criminal contexts flow into parties and thus influence election campaigns, it massively harms democracy," said the Green politician. SPD faction vice Dirk Wiese told the "Handelsblatt" that the case once again shows how "questionable and non-transparent" the AfD handles funds. "If the reports are confirmed, it would be another serious case of illegal party financing by the AfD."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.