Azerbaijan Laundromat: Merkel ally 'received cash from regime'

Allegations against Karin Strenz drag scandal over payments to European politicians into German election campaign

Revelations over payments by Azerbaijan to European politicians have seeped into the German election as it emerged that a close ally of Angela Merkel allegedly received money from the authoritarian regime.

The revelations are embarrassing for the German chancellor who on Tuesday was due to campaign with Karin Strenz, a Christian Democrat member of parliament, in the Baltic port city of Wismar.