Overview
- The Bundestag’s administration concluded in August that a €2,349,906.62 in‑kind poster campaign was an illegal straw‑man donation, and President Julia Klöckner ordered the money retained.
- The AfD filed an administrative suit in August in Berlin (VG 2 K 410/25) to reclaim the funds after depositing the amount in April as a precaution.
- Documents before the Bundestag include an Austrian anti‑money‑laundering notice and a December 16, 2024 gift contract indicating Gerhard Dingler received €2.6 million from Henning Conle shortly before the AfD campaign.
- The Berlin administrative court confirmed receipt of the case, no hearing date has been set, and reporting indicates a decision is not expected soon.
- AfD treasurer Carsten Hütter says the party found no evidence of an intermediary donation and cites the donor’s written assurances, while Austrian prosecutors discontinued a money‑laundering probe in May.