2024-02-29 19:11:37
68 half-redacted file pages with Strache chats put the FPÖ under pressure before the start of the U-committees.
Chat messages from the former FPÖ boss and Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache from 2019, which were sent to all factions by the Ministry of Justice as part of the committee of inquiry requested by the ÖVP into the “red-blue abuse of power”, caused a stir on Thursday regarding possible advertising corruption among the Freedom Party.
The 68 file pages, some of which have been massively blacked out, are regarding chats from Strache’s confiscated cell phone. According to “Kurier” and “Presse”, the chats contain insights into FPÖ-internal chat groups during the turquoise-blue government. In addition to Strache, participants included the FPÖ grandees Herbert Kickl, Harald Vilimsky, Norbert Hofer and Christian Hafenecker. The chats were regarding which media should receive advertisements, regarding a networking meeting with Russia or regarding pressure on the ORF (“Someone has to be kicked out for this”) and the abolition of the GIS fee.
ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger explained on ORF radio on Thursday evening: “This chat traffic suggests – since all FPÖ government members are in this chat group – that there has been extensive advertising corruption here.” In April 2019, Strache wrote in the blue chat group that advertisements had to be canceled for the Fellner media group because the former FPÖ politician Ewald Stadler had been invited by Fellner “to insult the FPÖ”. Four days later it said. “Please keep switching, we’ve sorted it out! He’s coming our way.” Strache suggested to ORF that it might also have been party advertisements. There are currently no criminal investigations into the matter.
The chats also show that Strache wanted to organize an Austrian-Russian civil service meeting during his time as Vice Chancellor: “Please fix something.”
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