The AfD state branch in Saxony-Anhalt has initiated expulsion proceedings against former general secretary Jan Wenzel Schmidt. Schmidt had previously accused his party colleagues of corruption and nepotism, including financing private trips with tax funds. This occurs amid internal conflicts ahead of the 2026 state election.
The state executive of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt has decided to initiate expulsion proceedings against former general secretary Jan Wenzel Schmidt, as SPIEGEL learned from party circles. The 34-year-old Bundestag member now faces the party's harshest sanction. Previously, he had accused his colleagues of billing fraud and nepotism. In an email, he described how AfD parliamentarians allegedly financed private leisure trips to New York, Greece, and Disneyland with tax funds over years. He also mentioned “business trips to Berlin whose target was the casino there.”
These allegations appear as a response to prior accusations against Schmidt himself. The state branch is examining disciplinary measures, as the politician may have misused his Bundestag mandate for business advantages. SPIEGEL investigations pointed to questionable deals with artificial diamonds from China. Moreover, Schmidt employed staff from his private e-cigarette company as fake mini-jobbers in his Bundestag office, paid from tax revenues. He did not respond to SPIEGEL's specific questions but denied any legal violations.
Until the beginning of this year, Schmidt served as general secretary of the state branch, which the domestic intelligence service classifies as confirmed right-wing extremist. Ahead of the state election in September 2026, where the AfD leads polls with around 40 percent, internal disputes are escalating. Other parliamentarians like Matthias Lieschke are involved: He allegedly secretly recorded a district leaders' meeting and sent the file to Schmidt. These conflicts could jeopardize the party's electoral success.
