AfD Politician Klaus Esser Investigated for Forgery and Title Misuse

German prosecutors searched the home of the NRW lawmaker, who is accused of falsifying academic credentials and manipulating party membership data.

Klaus Esser, an AfD lawmaker in North Rhine-Westphalia, is under investigation for allegedly falsifying academic qualifications and misusing professional titles.
Prosecutors in Aachen conducted a search of Esser's home in Düren as part of the ongoing investigation into the forgery allegations.
Esser is accused of submitting fake academic credentials when applying for a senior position within the AfD party.
Additional accusations include manipulating membership data by assigning new members false addresses to benefit his local party chapter.
Esser denies all allegations, claiming the accusations are part of an internal effort to damage his reputation, while a party expulsion process against him is underway.