Weimer Media Group is said to have offered the company exclusive access to federal ministers in exchange for money at the Ludwig Erhard summit. Weimer defended himself against the accusations. As the law firm Schertz Bergmann explained, he was not involved in “any decision-making process.”
Wolfram Weimer defended himself. The Minister of State for Culture summoned media lawyers from the law firm Schertz Bergmann to counter allegations from the “Apollo News” portal that Weimer Media Group offered the company exclusive access to federal ministers in exchange for money at the annual Ludwig Erhard summit on Lake Tegernsee and intended to exert “influence on political decision makers.”
In a press release, the attorneys wrote that Weimer stepped down from “all operational functions at Weimer Media Group prior to assuming office.” The Minister of State for Culture “clearly provided information to the public at that time” and was “no longer involved in the decision-making process and/or organization of events by the company”. Therefore, he no longer took part in the Ludwig Erhard summit.
According to a company spokesperson, Weimer owns a 50 percent stake in Weimer Media Group, but does not exercise any voting rights. According to a report from the “Apollo News” portal, the Bavarian state government has announced a review of whether the event should continue to receive state support or not.
The Green and Left parties in the Bundestag are now urging the Minister of State for Culture to eliminate possible conflicts of interest. “Any lack of clarity regarding possible mixing of interests would undermine the office’s credibility and undermine public trust,” said Green Party politician Sven Lehmann, chairman of the Bundestag’s culture committee.
Lehmann demanded that the Minister of State should establish full transparency “about possible ties between Weimer Media Group and government agencies.” Weimer should also explain how conflicts of interest can be set aside in media policymaking.
Left-wing media policy spokesman David Schliesing accused Weimer of “directly empowering his office through his media companies.” This kind of behavior is poison for democracy. “All allegations must now be fully clarified and appropriate consequences taken,” the left-wing politician said.
dpa/saha/doli
