Party official faces expulsion due to alleged fraud accusations within AfD.
Initial claims of fabricated academic credentials led to Klaus Esser's resignation from his party roles in early August. As per a report, the North Rhine-Westphalian AfD member is now alleged to have privately admitted to the bulk of these allegations. Consequently, his AfD membership has also been affected.
WDR originally reported that Esser had allegedly falsified parts of his CV during the AfD application process. The "Rheinische Post" had initially broken the story in August, alleged forgeries involving academic credentials included. Following this, Esser stepped down as deputy faction leader and from his position in the state executive. At that time, Esser maintained, "I will continue my political endeavors in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament and for our party, to which I have yet to receive any substantial criticism."
Esser initially addressed the issue in a statement, claiming the allegations were, "disputes that date back four years or more. I am being politically and existentially destroyed, and our successful state association is being destabilized." He accused unscrupulous individuals within the party of concocting these allegations and leaking them to the press. Esser chose to remain silent on the specific allegations, citing ongoing investigations and invoking the presumption of innocence.
According to WDR's report, Esser has now internally confessed to the broad validity of the allegations. Per dpa information, the state executive has instigated a party expulsion process, which will now be decided by an arbitration tribunal.
Doubts Surrounding Qualifications
Preliminary investigations have been initiated against Esser by the Aachen public prosecutor's office. Two separate complaints have been filed against the politician. As per "Rheinische Post", Esser's CV contains numerous false claims, such as his self-proclaimed lawyer status and passing of the first state exam.
The University of Cologne has confirmed that Esser pursued a law degree. However, there's no evidence to suggest that he continued past basic studies and the intermediate examination.
At the University of Hagen, Esser's application documents claim a master's degree in law. Yet, this too cannot be proven, as a spokesperson reported, "Klaus Esser has never taken a master's exam in law and has not obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at the University of Hagen."
The Commission has launched an investigation into the allegations of false claims in Esser's CV, as several public institutions have refuted his claimed educational accomplishments. The Commission's interest in the situation stems from the serious implications of falsifying academic credentials in political roles.
