Patricia Schlesinger has been exposed to numerous allegations of nepotism for weeks. In addition to the 61-year-old, who resigned as ARD and RBB boss in the affair, the focus is also on the chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf of the broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, who has also resigned. It is also about questionable orders for Schlesinger’s husband at Messe Berlin, where the chief controller was also the head of the supervisory board until his resignation there.

The question is whether Schlesinger could have dealt too laxly with Wolf in the event of possible conflicts of interest. The public prosecutor’s office in Berlin is now investigating against Schlesinger, her husband and ex-„Spiegel” journalists Gerhard Spörl and Wolf because of the initial suspicion of infidelity and acceptance of benefits. The whole case also involves details such as an expensive company car, meals with guests in Schlesinger’s private apartment at RBB’s expense, a hefty salary increase to 303,000 euros plus bonuses that have not yet been named.