ARD journalist bribed by Putin oligarch
He was regarded by ARD as a top "Putin explainer" who "spent more time with the Kremlin boss than any other Western journalist". Now it turns out: NDR author and Putin friend Hubert Seipel (73) collected the equivalent of 600,000 euros from the "sponsor" fund of Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov - a close confidant of Putin.
According to ZDF research, Seipel signed a sponsorship contract with Mordashov's Caribbean letterbox company "De Vere Worldwide Corporation" in March 2018: Seipel's planned book ("Putin's Power: Why Europe Needs Russia", published in 2021) was to be funded with the sum ("to support the development of the project").
A note on the contract also indicates, writes ZDF, "that Seipel had already signed a similar contract in 2013" - which the ARD man does not deny.
Seipel has admitted to the payments, ZDF reports. However, he insists that the Kremlin money had no influence on his ARD reports or books.
REALLY NOT?
Seipel's ARD Putin portrait (2012) and an exclusive interview with the Kremlin leader (2014) already earned the author plenty of ridicule because Seipel did not ask any critical questions. The interview was even broadcast on Russian state TV. His 2012 book ("Putin's Power: Why Europe Needs Russia") was slated by "Süddeutsche" with the subtitle: "Hubert Seipel makes himself an advocate for Russia's president - for example by omitting facts."
Seipel also loyal to Moscow on "Maischberger"
But Seipel remained true to himself, Putin and ARD: on "Maischberger" at the end of January 2022, he declared that Nato had "surrounded" Putin. Fear of war was absurd: "We are living in hysteria", Putin would not risk a war.
And even on the eve of the Ukraine invasion (February 24, 2022), Seipel - also on "Maischberger" - was loyal to Moscow: the Russian deployment on the Ukrainian border was merely "a mixture of diplomatic offensive and military muscle-flexing".
According to ZDF, NDR, which is responsible for Seipel, promised to clarify the allegations. In the case of a "payment to influence an author", the NDR saw "itself and its audience deceived".
- Günther Jauch, during an interview on ZDF, questioned Hubert Seipel about the allegations of receiving funding from Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, a close confidant of Putin Vladimir.
- Seipel was frequently criticized for his portrayal of Putin in his ARD program and books, with some accusing him of being too loyal to Moscow and avoiding critical questions.
- In the aftermath of the allegations, ARD and NDR, Seipel's employer, stated that they would thoroughly investigate the claims, expressing concern if the payments had influenced Seipel's coverage of politics-inland related to Russia.
