AfD's Krah Under Investigation by German Police
Scandals Plague Far-Right Candidate
BERLIN (AP) — A prominent German far-right lawmaker said Wednesday he will not run for the European parliament over an investigation into his alleged spying activities. Maximilian Krah, the lead candidate for the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), made the announcement at a press conference in Berlin. He said he was "deeply disappointed" by the investigation but would cooperate fully with authorities. The scandals involving Krah, a member of the Bundestag, come at a most inconvenient time for the AfD. The party is currently leading in polls ahead of the May 26 European elections and has been hoping to make gains by capitalizing on anti-establishment sentiment in Germany. German's top prosecutors office says that authorities are searching the European parliament office of Maximilian Krah an MEP with the AfD party. Krah is under preliminary investigation by German police after an intelligence report alleged he shared classified information with Russia. The AfD party is known for its anti-immigration and anti-EU stance, and has been accused of being a breeding ground for far-right extremism. The party has denied these accusations but has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months. In March, the German government banned the AfD youth wing, known as the Young Alternative, for its alleged links to neo-Nazi groups. The party has also been accused of racism and xenophobia, and has been criticized for its close ties to the far-right Pegida movement. The investigation into Krah is likely to further damage the AfD's reputation and could hurt its chances in the upcoming elections. The party has already been hit by a series of scandals in recent months, including the resignation of its former leader, Frauke Petry. The AfD has vowed to fight the allegations against Krah and has accused the German government of a witch hunt. The party has also said that it will continue to campaign for its anti-immigration and anti-EU policies.
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