Covid advisory councils AUF1 questions donor ties

Date unknown

AUF1 recalls that Thuringia did not formally check potential conflicts of interest before appointing its Covid advisory council. It then examines Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller's membership of the former CDU–FDP government's North Rhine-Westphalian coronavirus expert council. The report says TRUMPF donated €100,000 to the CDU and €50,000 to the FDP in 2017, and Leibinger-Kammüller personally gave the CDU €18,600. It explicitly says whether donations affected her later appointment is unknown. It recalls an SPD parliamentary inquiry asking whether other party donors were represented, and quotes the state government's reply that the council advised without a predetermined outcome. The report raises questions about political ties without establishing that donations secured an appointment or that advice was improper.

In a retrospective account, AUF1 describes SPD parliamentary scrutiny of party donors on North Rhine-Westphalia's coronavirus expert council. It gives TRUMPF's 2017 CDU/FDP donations and Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller's personal CDU donation as context for her later council membership. It explicitly says any influence on appointment is unknown. The reported government reply says the council advises without a predetermined outcome; corrupt appointment or improper advice is not established.