Authorities in Germany and Austria are investigating the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) over allegations of illegal campaign financing. The probe focuses on a €2.35 million advertising campaign donation, allegedly made by former Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) official and businessman Gerhard Dingler. However, investigators suspect Dingler acted as a frontman for German billionaire Henning Conle.

According to reports by Der Spiegel and Austria’s Der Standard, authorities uncovered that Dingler received €2.6 million from Henning Conle—who is active in real estate—shortly before donating to AfD.

Documents obtained by Austrian authorities indicate that Dingler presented a contract to his bank, Raiffeisenbank, showing that Conle had transferred the funds under the guise of a real estate project. Shortly afterward, €2.34 million was transferred from Dingler’s account to the Cologne-based advertising firm ASS Werbe GmbH, which specializes in billboard campaigns. AfD reported this exact amount as a donation to the Bundestag’s oversight authorities in early February.

Investigators are now exploring potential money laundering and illegal political financing, with the German Federal Criminal Police Office and Austrian intelligence agencies involved in the case. Under German law, donations made through intermediaries are strictly prohibited, and political parties must disclose the actual identity of their donors. If these allegations are confirmed, AfD could face a fine three times the amount received—approximately €7 million.

Der Spiegel describes Henning Conle as a mysterious figure in Germany, with very little publicly known about him. The 81-year-old businessman, who resides in Zurich and London and operates a holding company in Liechtenstein, has been linked to past financial support for AfD through illicit channels.

In 2017, Conle was suspected of funding AfD’s election campaign with 150,000 Swiss francs, a donation initially concealed by a fraudulent list of 14 donors. The German authorities later uncovered the scheme, forcing AfD to pay a €396,016 fine.

An AfD spokesperson stated that the party had no prior knowledge that Dingler was acting on behalf of another donor. When asked about the source of the funds, Dingler reportedly told the party that the money came from his personal assets and was not provided on behalf of a third party.

However, AfD declined to answer whether party leader Alice Weidel has any ties to Henning Conle.