Austrian Authorities Investigate AfD’s Largest Donation Amid Money-Laundering Suspicions

Austrian authorities have launched an investigation into the financial sources behind a substantial donation made to Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to support its election campaign, according to a joint report by the newspapers Spiegel and Standard.

The donation, which amounted to €2.35 million ($2.45 million), is the largest in the party’s history and was received in early February, giving the AfD a financial boost in the final phase of the campaign leading up to Sunday’s election, where the party is projected to achieve a historic second-place finish.

According to the German parliamentary register of donations, the funds were contributed by Gerhard Dingler. Dingler previously served as the managing director of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in the western state of Vorarlberg, a region bordering Germany and Switzerland. He held this position for 15 years before stepping down in 2016.

Spiegel and Standard reported on Wednesday that Austria’s domestic intelligence service and the federal criminal investigation bureau are probing suspected money laundering concerning a €2.6 million payment made to Dingler shortly before he donated the large sum to the AfD. The timing of this transaction has raised suspicions that Dingler may have been acting as an intermediary for another donor.

The focus of the investigation centers on how Dingler declared the payment before making the donation, the newspapers reported. A spokesperson for Austria’s BKA criminal investigation bureau declined to comment on individuals linked to the case, while Austria’s DSN domestic intelligence agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AfD’s treasurer, Carsten Huetter, issued a statement in response to the report, emphasizing the party’s willingness to cooperate fully with authorities should an investigation proceed. “Mr. Dingler has repeatedly assured the party that the donation in kind was made from his private assets,” Huetter said.

Der Standard reported that multiple attempts to reach Dingler for comment were unsuccessful, a situation also encountered by Reuters.

Under German law, if the donation is found to have breached party finance regulations, the AfD could face a fine of approximately €7 million. The party has previously been penalized for similar violations, with Germany’s Bundestag parliament fining the AfD more than €400,000 in 2019 for breaking party donation rules.

By fLEXI tEAM