Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - After his announced withdrawal, Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD) wants to speak to the press this Friday (12.00 p.m.). He wants to comment on the background to his decisions, according to a spokesman for the city.
Feldmann, who was on a trip to Vietnam this week, announced Tuesday that he would be withdrawing in early 2023. He will apply next January to end his term of office at the end of the month, it said. "I would like to spare the city of Frankfurt an agonizing and expensive vote-out procedure," said the SPD politician, who has been accused of corruption. As the Frankfurt Regional Court then announced on Wednesday, the trial against Feldmann will begin on October 18.
In March, the public prosecutor's office filed charges based on sufficient suspicion of accepting an advantage. Feldmann's wife, as the head of an Awo-Kita, "without any objective reason" received a salary that exceeded the collective agreement, it was said. According to the public prosecutor's office, Awo also supported Feldmann in the 2018 election campaign by raising donations. In return, he wanted to "benevolently consider" the interests of Awo Frankfurt.
In addition, the 63-year-old had noticed other slips in the past few weeks. Recently, Feldmann's own party, the SPD, had even called for his resignation.
