SPD's Tauss steps down after child porn probe
Social Democratic (SPD) parliamentarian Jörg Tauss said Friday he would step down from his leadership positions after his offices were searched in a child pornography investigation.
The 55-year-old said in a statement that he would give up his roles as the centre-left SPD’s parliamentary expert on research and education, his spot among the party’s parliamentary group leadership and his position as SPD general secretary for the state of Baden-Württemberg. However, he intends to remain an MP.
Tauss said he did not want to damage his party and was “absolutely sure” that he would be quickly cleared of suspicion, saying he would make “a serious effort to support and cooperate” with investigators.
The Karlsruhe state prosecutor’s office said “relevant” child pornography material had been found on Tauss’ computer in his Berlin apartment on Thursday, adding that the politician would have to provide an explanation. The searches do not mean Tauss will be charged with any wrongdoing, the spokesperson emphasised.
Tauss has been in parliament since 1994. He told the media on Thursday that he’d been involved in fighting the child pornography scene for years, adding that he couldn’t be sure if the searches were part of a “plot for revenge.”
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The 55-year-old said in a statement that he would give up his roles as the centre-left SPD’s parliamentary expert on research and education, his spot among the party’s parliamentary group leadership and his position as SPD general secretary for the state of Baden-Württemberg. However, he intends to remain an MP.
Tauss said he did not want to damage his party and was “absolutely sure” that he would be quickly cleared of suspicion, saying he would make “a serious effort to support and cooperate” with investigators.
The Karlsruhe state prosecutor’s office said “relevant” child pornography material had been found on Tauss’ computer in his Berlin apartment on Thursday, adding that the politician would have to provide an explanation. The searches do not mean Tauss will be charged with any wrongdoing, the spokesperson emphasised.
Tauss has been in parliament since 1994. He told the media on Thursday that he’d been involved in fighting the child pornography scene for years, adding that he couldn’t be sure if the searches were part of a “plot for revenge.”
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