AfD Co-Leader Denies Claims of Receiving Illegal Funds During 2017 Campaign

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Co-leader of right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) Weidel categorically rejected on Friday reports alleging that the party had received illegal funding from abroad for its 2017 election campaign, calling the accusations groundless.

"I categorically deny these allegations. They are completely groundless and constitute an attempt to discredit me politically and personally," Alice  Weidel said, as quoted by the German n-tv broadcaster.

The party leader also stressed that the facts reported by media were false and biased, and she would help clarify the situation.

"I — including in the interests of my party — will help clarify these circumstances by all available means," Weidel said.

READ MORE: Prosecutors Verify Reports of Possibly Illegal Donation From Swiss Firm to AfD

The official's statement comes after the prosecutor's office of Germany's southern city of Konstanz, located near the German-Swiss border, said on Wednesday it was investigating possible irregularities in the AfD campaign's financing.

Prior to that, German media reported that about 130,000 euros ($147,300) had been transferred from a pharmaceutical company registered in Switzerland to the AfD's account in a constituency where Weidel ran for the Bundestag. According to media reports, the money was transferred in small portions and meant to finance Weidel's election campaign.

Political parties in Germany are prohibited by law from receiving financial support from individuals or companies from outside the European Union, of which Switzerland is not a part.

As a result of the 2017 parliamentary elections, AfD for the first time won seats in the Bundestag and formed its third largest parliamentary group behind the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the alliance between the Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU).