The impostor affair has been met with massive criticism in the AfD for weeks. Now the party leadership is drawing conclusions for the first time. It is questionable whether that will be enough.
Research by t-online uncovered the impostor affair in the AfD, and now the party leadership is drawing conclusions for the first time: At its meeting on Monday, the AfD’s federal executive board decided to ban its European candidates Arno Bausemer and Mary Khan-Hohloch from holding office for two years. t-online learned this from board circles.
Bausemer should therefore lose his position as state treasurer and on the AfD state executive board in Saxony-Anhalt. Khan-Hohloch does not hold any office within the party and the decision has no consequences for her. It remained unclear on Monday exactly when the ban on offices would take effect. The state associations should implement the decision of the federal executive board.
The decision to block the party was already expected in the AfD, but many criticized it as too lax and a “trick” by the party leadership. Ultimately, Bausemer like Khan-Hohloch can keep the promising list positions 10 and 14. You have a good chance of entering the EU Parliament next year and receiving high salaries, office space and employees.
“Ridiculous!”
“Insolence” and “Ridiculous!” was what the party circles said on Monday after the decision. The suspension from office was also easy for Bausemer to cope with. The office of state treasurer is unpaid, labor-intensive and often annoying.
Against this background, some members of the Federal Executive Board apparently also found the suspension from office not enough: in a roll-call vote, eleven members of the Federal Executive Board voted in favor of the suspension from office, two abstained. Khan-Hohloch’s husband, Dennis Hohloch, did not attend the meeting.
Lack of explanation
According to information from t-online, Christina Baum and Mariana Harder-Kühnel abstained. They are considered opponents of Weidel and Khan-Hohloch respectively and are among the most critical voices in the Federal Executive Board in the impostor affair who are insisting on clarification. The suspension from office was probably not enough for them, far too little.
Many at the grassroots would also have preferred to take much tougher action and remove the two candidates from the list, or at least ask or oblige them to give up their mandates in the event of an election. There was talk of “greed”, “mandate evasion” and “nepotism”.
Will the affair still continue?
It is therefore questionable whether the Federal Executive Board’s decision actually ends the discussion. Efforts are underway in various AfD committees – including the Brandenburg state executive board and the AfD party convention – to make further resolutions.
Although there are doubts within the party about the CVs of several candidates, Bausemer and Khan-Hohloch in particular were the focus of the examination and discussions among the party leadership. The reason: The cases were heatedly discussed in public and at the grassroots level – and were also used as internal party ammunition against members of the federal executive board. Among them: Dennis Hohloch, Khan-Hohloch’s husband, and the party leader Alice Weidel, who is close to her.
t-online revealed false information
t-online had revealed numerous false claims in Bausemer’s CV for the constellation meeting in Magdeburg. He had stated well-sounding qualifications there: a professional qualification as a journalist, well-known media as work references, over 10 years as managing director of a medium-sized company and 15 years of professional experience outside of politics.
In fact, only the smallest parts of it corresponded to the facts. He did not obtain a professional qualification; his work references included unskilled work and a discontinued training course. He was never a managing director, as he himself admitted.
“Unbelievable”
When she introduced herself to the delegates in Magdeburg, Mary Khan-Hohloch stated that she had completed a “degree in religious studies, public law and a focus on European law” and that she had four years of professional experience outside of politics. Party colleagues doubted this. Already in an application at the European election meeting it was said: “In view of the time frame and the CV, both appear implausible.”
After massive pressure from the grassroots and ever new publications about Bausemer, the Federal Executive Board finally had the study and professional qualifications of all 35 European candidates checked in September. With a bad result for Bausemer and Khan-Hohloch: According to information from t-online, both candidates presented documents to the representatives – but none that could fully substantiate their information.
Without a professional qualification
Khan-Hohloch was therefore unable to provide evidence of an official diploma for her studies dated before the meeting in Magdeburg. According to the AFP news agency, Bausemer was unable to obtain a professional qualification.
Nevertheless, both are now allowed to enter the European Parliament for the AfD.
