Overview
- CDU budget politician Christian Goiny told the parliamentary inquiry he did not overstep in pushing for projects, saying it is a normal political role to advocate for funding and apologizing for a harsh tone in WhatsApp messages.
- The committee is reviewing about €2.65 million steered to projects labeled of special political significance from a €3.4 million fund created after the culture office failed to spend all anti-antisemitism funds in 2024.
- Evidence under scrutiny includes WhatsApp chats in which Goiny and CDU caucus chief Dirk Stettner pressed Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson for quick approvals, along with staff testimony that budget-law warnings were ignored.
- Potential conflicts flagged by reporters include roughly €400,000 for the Zera Institute, which has personal links to Goiny, and a project backed by Stettner at Urania that ultimately did not receive money; both politicians deny wrongdoing.
- Berlin’s culture administration moved to spend up to €50,000 on outside legal and media counsel for the probe, with further witnesses expected in the coming weeks, including former culture senator Joe Chialo and his successor Sarah Wedl-Wilson.