AfD politician Maximilian Krah is facing a crisis after one of his employees was arrested for suspicion of spying for China. Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla plan to have a discussion with Krah, who has so far refused to resign. Krah has decided not to participate in the party’s election campaign kickoff in order to protect the party’s reputation. The arrested employee, a German citizen named Jian G., worked as an assistant for Krah in the European Parliament and is accused of passing on information about EU Parliament negotiations and spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany.
Krah announced on Wednesday that he would be terminating the employment of the accused employee. He maintains that he himself did not engage in any wrongdoing. Another scandal plaguing the AfD involves Krah’s colleague Petr Bystron, who allegedly complained in a wiretapped conversation about receiving money in denominations that were difficult to spend in Germany. Bystron is reported to have received a sum of 20,000 euros in 200-euro bills. The Czech government uncovered a Russian influence operation involving a media portal linked to Bystron, who has denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a NATO campaign to discredit peace-promoting parties.
Despite the espionage allegations and internal turmoil, Krah will continue to run as the AfD’s lead candidate in the upcoming European elections. However, he will not attend the party’s campaign launch as a precautionary measure. The AfD leadership expressed their condemnation of foreign interference through espionage and attempts to manipulate opinions. The party is determined to fully investigate the spying allegations and take appropriate action. The fact that a member of Krah’s team was allegedly involved in espionage has caused significant damage to the party’s reputation, prompting Krah to take immediate steps to address the issue.
Bystron denies the accusations of receiving money from a pro-Russian businessman and complains about the tactics used by the NATO in disseminating false information to harm the image of parties advocating for peace and opposing the Ukrainian conflict. The existence of audio recordings allegedly proving the financial transactions has sparked controversy and media attention. The involvement of Bystron in this scandal further complicates the situation for the AfD, adding to the challenges faced by the party in the midst of the espionage scandal involving Krah’s employee. The party’s ability to maintain its reputation and credibility is being put to the test as these controversies unfold.
