Letter affair: Strobl wants to accept money circulation

Created: 2022-10-20Updated: 2022-10-20 9:35 p.m

Thomas Strobl (CDU), Minister of the Interior and State Chairman of the CDU Baden-Württemberg during the state party conference.

© Silas Stein/dpa/archive image

Interior Minister Thomas Strobl was investigated for months because he pierced a lawyer's letter to a journalist.

Now he is announcing the result to his own faction - and is asking for support.

It is probably the worst crisis of his career.

Stuttgart - The investigation against the Baden-Württemberg Minister of the Interior Thomas Strobl in connection with the so-called letter affair is to be discontinued, according to dpa information, against payment of a monetary requirement of 15,000 euros.

He intends to accept the public prosecutor's offer, the deputy head of government said on Thursday evening, according to the CDU parliamentary group.

Strobl had passed on a letter from a lawyer to a journalist.

The 62-year-old had asked for the group meeting himself, according to group circles.

He therefore wanted to announce the result of the investigation by the public prosecutor's office and to promote trust.

The parliamentary group said before the meeting that no one was interested in shaking the green-black coalition.

For weeks, the question on which the career of the 62-year-old is also dependent was open: What is the result of the public prosecutor's investigations against Strobl - hiring with a condition?

Without condition?

penal order?

Accusation?

It is now clear: the proceedings against the minister will be discontinued, but against a payment of money.

Strobl is to pay an amount of 15,000 euros.

He doesn't have a criminal record.

It is still unclear what the political consequences will be for the deputy head of government and head of the CDU state.

The Presidium of the Southwest CDU should also meet on the matter by Friday at the latest.

The background to this is investigations by the public prosecutor's office against the highest-ranking police officer in the country, the police inspector.

He is accused of sexual harassment.

Strobl is also under pressure because he is said to have instigated a journalist to quote from the case files.

The opposition has been accusing the CDU politician of betraying secrets and violating data protection for months.

The reporter is also under investigation.

According to the newspaper, he declined the offer of hiring for a fee.

Strobl had repeatedly defended his actions in the past few months.

He wanted to avoid any appearance of a "backroom deal" and therefore gave the letter to the journalist, so his argument.

Because the lawyer made him a “poisoned offer” in which he wanted to clarify the allegations through official channels.

dpa