Lower Saxony's AfD state leader Schledde expects charges

Lower Saxony's AfD state leader Ansgar Schledde expects charges to be brought against him. “Charges will now be brought against me, as state chairman,” said Schledde, according to a statement from the AfD state association regarding the waiver of immunity. Shortly afterwards, the state parliament unanimously decided to do so.

Schledde compared what he described as the impending indictment with "constant attacks by the state government", what he saw as the "groundless" upgrading of the AfD Lower Saxony by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the exclusion of several AfD candidates from the local elections on Sunday.

“This is a more than transparent maneuver a few days before the local elections in Lower Saxony,” said Schledde. “I still face the charges with calm.” He is convinced that the responsible court will “form its opinion about the allegations against me in a politically neutral manner and will ultimately confirm my assessment of the situation.” “I firmly reject the allegations overall.”

The Hanover public prosecutor's office has been investigating several AfD members for a long time because of possible violations of the party law and suspicion of breach of trust. The party had always rejected the allegations.

The public prosecutor's office has been investigating since 2024

In 2024, the public prosecutor's office explained that there was an initial suspicion that an AfD member had, on the one hand, not forwarded donations immediately and, on the other hand, had not listed expenses for the party in the party's annual report. According to the then AfD state leader Frank Rinck, the allegations were directed against his then deputy Schledde. Schledde himself declared at the time, together with four other AfD MPs: “The allegations made against us have no basis.”

This spring, the investigation was expanded to include suspicions of breach of trust and another possible violation of party law. Several members of the Bundestag and state parliament as well as other AfD members are affected.