Leaked Emails Raise Questions Over AfD Leader’s Donation Claims

Emails from more than 420,000 hacked accounts linked to Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party appear to contradict leader Alice Weidel’s previous statements about an illegal campaign donation, according to a report by Der Spiegel. The emails, published online earlier this week, are being examined by journalists from several media organisations.

According to the report, an email Weidel sent to the party’s treasurer in July 2017 indicated that she had been informed about planned donations. This appears to conflict with her earlier statement that she first learned about the funds in September 2017. The payments, totalling €132,000 through Swiss intermediaries, became a major party financing scandal, resulting in a €396,000 fine for the AfD under German regulations restricting donations from outside the European Union.

The AfD has declined to comment on the authenticity of the leaked emails and urged media organisations not to distribute material obtained through data theft. The publication of the records could intensify calls from some politicians and civil society groups to ban the party, which they argue threatens Germany’s democratic constitutional order. The AfD rejects those allegations, describing them as politically motivated.

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