In a statement on Wednesday, Esser spoke of allegations that had been made four years or more ago. “I am to be destroyed politically and existentially, our successful regional association is to be destabilized.” The allegations were “prepared by destructive people from within our party and deliberately leaked to the press.” Esser did not want to be more specific, citing investigation measures, but referred to the presumption of innocence that applies to him. The “Rheinische Post” had reported that Esser had falsely stated in his application documents that he was a lawyer and that he had a master’s degree and a first state examination. However, the evidence provided could not be verified by the relevant authorities. Esser had his lawyer deny the newspaper’s allegations and stated that his CV had been falsified by third parties.
By resigning from the two leadership positions, he wanted to avert damage to the party and the parliamentary group, Esser said in his statement on Wednesday. However, he would continue his political work in the state parliament “calmly and seriously in the interests of the party.” Esser obviously wants to keep his mandate in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament. It is not only there that he repeatedly attracts attention with fierce attacks on political opponents. Just recently, he described the Berlin traffic light government on Instagram as a collection of “unskilled workers, college dropouts and CV forgers.”
Esser had already come under criticism in June for employing an employee who had been sentenced to a suspended sentence for an anti-Semitic act of violence in a student fraternity.
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