According to this, a system is said to have been established there according to which members of the Bundestag from Lower Saxony should reserve 35 percent of their staff budget for party work in the state’s own AfD network and thus misuse public funds. The letter is available to RTL/ntv and “Stern”.

Around 1.455 million were misused by 13 AfD members of the Bundestag

The letter states that up to 13 members of the Bundestag alone are likely to receive up to around 1.455 million euros per year, which is being misused for party work.

Arndt assumes that state chairman Ansgar Schledde is using the money to finance an internal network. “He promises his support so that the member gets a place on the list,” writes Arndt to the AfD federal executive board. “In return, Ansgar Schledde is allowed to determine over 35 percent of the MP’s future staff budget.” The state chairman decides who will be hired from this employee budget and what party work should be done during working hours.

The MEP describes these tasks in her letter as follows: “Party work includes running information stands, recruiting members, accepting members, slandering members, spying on members, hanging posters, and of course always voting for Ansgar Schledde and his network at all party conferences.”

Arndt relies on several witness reports and affidavits, including statements from a former AfD district chairman who has since left the party. In return for Schledde’s support in drawing up the list of candidates, he should have given over 10,000 euros of his future employee budget as an MEP to Schledde. When the ex-district chairman rejected this, a character assassination campaign was launched against him.

The MEP Arndt speaks of a “financed terrorist network” within the AfD Lower Saxony, which effectively undermines participation within the party, freedom of expression and democratic candidate nominations. The credibility of the AfD as a party based on the rule of law will be massively damaged by the practices described, warns Arndt and calls for clarification and consequences for the elected officials involved. “The rule of law within the party has been eliminated in Lower Saxony,” said Arndt.

In response to an inquiry from RTL/ntv and stern to the AfD state executive in Lower Saxony about the allegations, the Lower Saxony members of the Bundestag responded in general: “We are not aware of any regulations, agreements or obligations according to which we have to observe requirements beyond the regulations of the German Bundestag when hiring employees.” In addition, they would never comment on personnel matters for reasons of privacy.

The AfD’s federal executive committee is coming on Monday in Berlin for a meeting at which the allegations are also on the agenda. The Lower Saxony state chairman Schledde should take a position on site.