- Dispute over Intel post: no misconduct found
In the dispute over the filling of a position in the Ministry of Education, an investigation found no evidence of misconduct. "There was no proof that the 'Intel position' was offered to an applicant, and the appointment was always tied to adherence to the regular application process, which was conducted in an orderly manner without any outside influence," the ministry said, citing the findings of the investigating officer.
Education Minister Eva Feußner (CDU) had complained about a smear campaign with anonymous accusations in the context of the dispute over the filling of the position and had repeatedly dismissed the allegations. The allegations related to the appointment procedure for a position in connection with the Intel settlement in Magdeburg and the initiation of a disciplinary procedure. The position was reportedly offered to a headmaster several weeks before the official advertisement in the fall of 2022, but he did not ultimately receive it. State Secretary Frank Diesener had to step down, but another employee of the ministry was also under scrutiny.
Disciplinary procedure to be dropped
The investigation also looked into the timeline of when and how the disciplinary procedure against the employee involved in the appointment process was initiated. Several parliamentary factions had criticized the answers from the Ministry of Education to deputies and the media.
"The dismissal of the former State Secretary was a consequence of political responsibility for unprofessional behavior," the Ministry of Education said. "Even if a possible lack of distance between the State Secretary and the affected official on the one hand and the applicant on the other hand was identified, the investigating officer recommends that the disciplinary procedure against the affected official be dropped. The authority will follow this recommendation."
Despite the allegations against the Education Minister Eva Feußner (CDU) and other ministry officials regarding the appointment process for the Intel-related position in Magdeburg, the investigation found no misconduct within the CDU. The investigating officer recommended dropping the disciplinary procedure against the affected official due to a potential lack of distance, but no misconduct was proven.
