The resigned faction leader Christian Klingen says vaguely about the reasons that he was appalled by the “financial management” of the previous board. It’s not the first time that the AfD’s checkout has caused a stir.
How luxurious can such an AfD ass have? That was the big question in the parliamentary group in 2019. Of course, it was about buttocks and suitable seating in the rooms in the state parliament. In the end, the Treasury Control Commission resigned. Previously, there had been a dispute with the then parliamentary group leader around Katrin Ebner-Steiner, because of allegedly wasteful expenses: including couch furniture for the conference room and hallway, which is said to have cost 20,000 euros and that “after deducting a 7,000 euro discount”.
It was said that such noble “relaxation couches” did not fall under “office equipment” as posted. Then it became quiet again around the AfD checkout – because the faction was constantly making purrs and volts that attracted attention. And because a new board took office in autumn 2021, with the bosses Christian Klingen and Ulrich Singer, elected by the previously internal opposition camp against Ebner-Steiner.
Klingen has now left the party and faction, quite taciturn. It was speculated that he was worried about his job as a civil servant because the AfD was classified as a suspected case by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In the main post Klingen said: “I was appalled by the financial management of the old group leadership.” The successor board hired a lawyer. “Presumably” the matter was even justiciable and he didn’t want to hold his head.
And now? Blades cannot provide details on request. A spokesman for the parliamentary group announced that the board would not comment on “internal processes”. AfD MPs, regardless of camp, say across the board: “no comment”.
At least one hears from those close to the former board that there is nothing of substance to the accusation. And one wonders whether this is not a “scam” to follow. Maybe Klingen means personnel costs, about which there has been displeasure in the AfD cosmos for a long time.
According to this, some speakers or speechwriters of the old board are said to have been given the most lavish allowances. So that in the end salaries came out for which one would have to get it to the government director in the civil service – top salaries for helpers in the parliamentary group staff. Be that as it may, one thing is certain: potential top earners are sitting comfortably, thanks to the couch affair.