Overview

• The Bundestagsverwaltung concluded that Gerhard Dingler acted as a trustee for Henning Conle in arranging the contribution, meeting the legal definition of a prohibited strawman donation.
• The AfD had transferred €2.35 million to the Bundeskasse in April for safekeeping, and the federal treasury will retain the amount, which spared the party a potential threefold penalty.
• Officials cited the absence of a personal relationship between Conle and Dingler and noted Conle has previously appeared as a covert supporter of the AfD.
• Austria’s financial intelligence unit alerted German authorities after identifying a larger transfer from Conle to Dingler shortly before the election advertising was ordered.
• The AfD rejects the finding and plans to sue to recover the money, with party treasurer Carsten Hütter saying the decision lacks a legal basis.