All offices lost

Politician spied on hundreds of tax files

Her curiosity cost an Innviertel tax official and ÖVP local councillor her political office. For example, she rummaged through the files of political colleagues (symbolic image).(Bild: Heiko Knaack)

For several years, a VP politician and tax official from Upper Austria rummaged around in the tax assessments of her husband, the mayor and fellow politicians. She stumbled across her curiosity when applying for a team leader position. She was convicted of abuse of office and lost her seat on the local council.

A fall instead of a steep career climb! This is how an application for a team leader position ended for a tax official and ÖVP politician from the district of Ried im Innkreis. She had apparently forgotten that her "query behavior" on the office computer would also be scrutinized in the course of filling the position.

An initial check revealed that she had made 103 accesses to her husband's tax data and 37 accesses to the tax file of her work and room colleague. Based on these anomalies, an investigation was launched.

Fined for abuse of office
The result: the politician was also interested in the tax affairs of her colleague's daughter (24 accesses), those of the mayor of her municipality (6 accesses) and the data of other colleagues from the ÖVP parliamentary group.

Before the Disciplinary Commission, she stated that the accesses had been made for official reasons or in connection with the request for information of the respective persons. However, 15 of those affected stated that they knew nothing about the official's activities. 13 people had also not given her their consent for access.

ÖVP district party chairman Günther Lengauer is also uncomfortable about the case.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

Her curiosity has now ended in a conviction for abuse of office and a fine of 2,800 euros. After a clarifying discussion with ÖVP district party chairman Günther Lengauer, she resigned from her position as a local councillor.

Resigned as municipal party leader
She had already resigned from her position as municipal party leader almost two years ago when the allegations surfaced. "It is a very unpleasant matter for us. I also don't know what she should have done with the data. But abuse of office is no small matter," Lengauer states.

Florian Koppler, SPÖ regional manager, also reacted with indignation: "There have already been inconsistencies at the Braunau-Ried-Schärding tax office in the past - then as now, the ÖVP was involved. These incidents reinforce the conviction of some that the ÖVP sees the Republic as a self-service store." Koppler announces a parliamentary question to Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP). "It is about nothing less than ensuring that citizens are protected from politically motivated audits of dissidents."

Call for clarification and consequences
The FPÖ will also address parliamentary questions to Chancellor Nehammer, Finance Minister Brunner and the Green Justice Minister Zadic. Neos provincial politician Felix Eypeltauer believes that State Premier Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) has a duty: "There must be a public and transparent investigation. This is not about abuse of office, but about abuse of power and corruption. If these allegations prove to be true, there must be consequences."