Alternative for Germany receives $1.3m donation from The Heritage Foundation

Alternative for Germany (AfD) received $1.3 million from the US conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, in 2025.

The donation was made through a US-based non-profit organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

The donation was revealed in a report by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group that tracks money in politics. The report found that ALEC had donated a total of $1.3 million to AfD in 2025. This donation was part of a larger pattern of donations from ALEC to far-right parties in Europe, including the National Rally in France and the Freedom Party of Austria.

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. It is one of the most influential think tanks in the United States, and its research and policy recommendations have been cited by policymakers around the world. The foundation has been criticized for its support of conservative causes, including its opposition to climate change regulation and its support for tax cuts for the wealthy.

AfD is a far-right political party in Germany. The party was founded in 2013, and it has since become the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, the German parliament. AfD has been criticized for its anti-immigrant and anti-EU rhetoric, and it has been accused of having ties to white supremacist groups.

The donation from The Heritage Foundation to AfD has raised concerns about the influence of foreign money in German politics. Some critics have accused The Heritage Foundation of trying to influence the outcome of the 2025 German federal election, which will be held on September 24, 2025.

The Heritage Foundation has denied any wrongdoing, and it has said that the donation to AfD was made in support of the party's conservative values. The foundation has also said that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.