Extremely high Kickl salary thanks to additional payments from the FPÖ Vienna
Vienna (OTS) – FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl often rails against politicians’ salaries being too high and likes to accuse other parties of haggling, favoritism and advertising corruption. “The files and documents from the ‘Red-Blue Abuse of Power’ investigative committee unmask the FPÖ party leader himself and show that he obviously meant himself with this criticism,” said ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger. In addition, there is the FPÖ’s collaboration with a Russian spy, scandalous handling of party funding in Graz and Vienna and close connections to the right-wing extremist scene in Austria and Europe. Hanger describes the “Kickl system” as the pinnacle of double standards, with a view to its income and the FPÖ’s verifiable job-haggling.
Zwtl.: Blue post haggling and favoritism
For example, the then party leader and Vice Chancellor Strache wrote to ex-Defense Minister Kunasek: “We provide the minister and should position our personalities…”. According to Hanger, Herbert Kickl subsequently took this assignment very seriously. For example, today’s FPÖ-NÖ regional councilor Luisser, with no experience in public law, was appointed deputy section head for “Citizenship and Residence Matters” or Bernhard M. (an FPÖ partisan from Vienna) – contrary to the recommendation of the personnel commission – was appointed head of the “Security Administration” department ” appointed in the Ministry of the Interior. “Blue post haggling in its purest form,” says Hanger, who also describes Interior Minister Kickl’s planned award of contracts in the area of public relations as a prime example of favoritism within the FPÖ. Under the current FPÖ party leader, a tender was stopped and a contract for “strategic communication” was concluded with a communications consultant close to the FPÖ. Term 12 months, extension option for one year and a monthly fee of 10,200 euros gross. The award process was criticized several times by the responsible department and internal audit and was closed – retroactively – after several adjustments. Particularly noteworthy: the contract was terminated after just one month due to “no need for it”.
Zwtl.: Blue betrayal of Austria’s security
With the illegal house search under the former Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, the then secret service in Austria (BVT) was destroyed. This historical fact has now been proven several times. It is also proven that Herbert Kickl, as Interior Minister, wanted to give one of the masterminds of the illegal house search and the Russian spy Egisto Ott an important position in the new secret service. “If it got this far unintentionally, this is proof of Kickl’s incompetence – Egisto Ott was suspended for Russian espionage in 2017. If it happened intentionally, then Kickl has betrayed Austria’s security,” said Hanger. There is also evidence of the FPÖ’s close connections to the suspected Russian spy Egisto Ott via Hans-Jörg Jenewein, who were in close contact for many years. And it is also proven that the FPÖ came into possession of illegally obtained evidence through Egisto Ott and Hans-Jörg Jenewein.
Currently: Blue advertising agency and several trust contracts
Herbert Kickl was particularly nervous and at the same time not eager to provide information during the first survey on the topic of “Ideenschmiede”, the blue advertising agency based in Carinthia. “We are currently in the middle of an investigation into this issue by the ‘Red-Blue Abuse of Power’ investigative committee, as Interior Minister Kickl signed a contract with this advertising agency in 2018. The core issue is the question of whether Herbert Kickl benefits from profit distributions from this advertising agency (2.5 million euros from 2007 to 2019) directly or indirectly (via related third parties). Several trust agreements and thus a silent participation in this advertising agency strongly suggest this suspicion.
Zwtl.: Blue financial scandal in Styria
The FPÖ financial scandal in Styria almost seems like a sideshow to this blue series of scandals. Here, liberal party officials have obviously enriched themselves personally with tax money over many years. This fact is not disputed at all, it is simply emphasized that this is a “lone perpetrator”. However, this lone perpetrator theory has clearly been shaken this week. “Of course it wasn’t me alone”, “How am I supposed to have fetched 700,000 euros on my own,” says the main accused at a sausage stand in a very drunken state. This matter will also be a focus of the investigative committee this week. A presentation of the facts by the local councilor Alexis Pascuttini, who was excluded from the FPÖ, against Kunasek and FPÖ state party secretary Stefan Hermann on suspicion of attempted coercion will certainly also be discussed.
Zwtl.: Blue Fee Emperor
“However, the height of hypocrisy is reached when we take a look at Herbert Kickl’s income,” says Hanger. The basis for this is the reports of additional salaries to Parliament. The ÖVP parliamentary group leader describes the year 2017 as particularly interesting. “At that time, Herbert Kickl was a simple member of parliament and general secretary of the FPÖ. In addition to parliament, a very generous employer is the FPÖ Vienna, which meant that only tax money was used for Kickl’s income.” says Hanger, who refers to the “conspicuous generosity of the FPÖ Vienna”.
In any case, given this blue series of scandals, it is understandable that Herbert Kickl no longer wants to testify before the investigative committee. “From a democratic policy perspective, it is a scandal and an affront to parliament and the population and shows enormous cowardice before the truth!” (Ending)
Questions & Contact:
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