# Unveiled: The ARD Scandal and Hubert Seipel's Controversial Ties with Putin
Cracking open a year-old secret!
The explosive scandal surrounding the disreputable ARD correspondent Hubert Seipel (73, "Ich, Putin!") - it ought to have surfaced much sooner!
"Upon the airing of the Seipel-Putin docu-series at the start of 2012, turbulence arose between WDR and NDR." As explained by Lielischkies: "We at WDR held responsibility for Moscow." When NDR's lackluster Seipel docu-series (75 minutes) graced ARD's primary programming, a storm brewed within ARD. The outcome, according to Lielischkies:
▶︎ "Upcoming the inaugural broadcast of the Seipel docu-series, WDR's Moscow studio was able to secure a docu-series of its own in the ARD programming as a kind of reparation, which tackled oppositional voices in Russia and the oppression under Putin. However, it was only broadcast once in the late hours of the night." The counter-docu-series was the brainchild of the then (and present) studio manager in Moscow, Ina Ruck (61).
NDR was privy to the doubts of the Moscow experts at ARD.
BRISANT: As per Lielischkies, they knew from previous offers from the Kremlin "that Gazprom and the Kremlin desired control over the material and the final product. We rejected that offer. Seipel, evidently, did not."
"It demonstrated a conspicuously soft-pedaled portrayal," opined Lielischkies about the Putin docu-series. He continued: "As a journalist, you'd naturally question yourself while watching it: What did he do to secure access to power?"
But Seipel's in-house broadcaster?
▶︎ Ex-WDR man and author Lielischkies ("In the Shadow of the Kremlin"): "NDR yielded to the allure to get close to the fascinating Russian president. Who gets an inside story with Putin? Only a select few can manage that. That's considered a scoop (sensational and/or exclusive journalistic content, ed.). People have overlooked the fact that the prize is a lack of criticism."
Two Major Special Appearances by Seipel on ARD
► In January, ARD aired Seipel's friendly conversation with U.S. intelligence defector Edward Snowden (conducted in Moscow), which stirred controversy as the world's first TV interview with the defector. Unfortunately, Snowden's strange exile in the land of spies and oppressors was never addressed in this interview. Snowden, a disgraced NSA employee, had initially leaked U.S. secrets to China in Hong Kong and was later brought home by Putin - luxuriously accommodated near the Kremlin in the "Hotel Baltschug Kempinski". What Snowden revealed from his own work, he delivered quietly to Beijing in Hong Kong. Moscow exploited Snowden as a PR puppet to broadcast its findings and misleading information about the U.S. to the world. Snowden served as a convenient mouthpiece to cover up his own sources. The Western agent: a prize belonging to the Kremlin!
But for interviews with the West, a pliable expert was required who would not ask the wrong questions: Seipel was undoubtedly the ideal candidate. And Seipel to NDR - they would take what they could get. The main goal was "exclusive"!
► Later in 2014, Seipel delivered his Kremlin masterpiece: an exclusive interview with the once again rehabilitated war criminal and mass murderer Putin. In 2014, he invaded Ukraine, occupied the east of the country and Crimea, and shot down a passenger plane (MH17) with 298 people aboard. As a result, his reputation was tarnished in the West. However, Seipel was there to parrot and lie on Putin's behalf. Seipel's work for NDR was given the prime broadcasting slot available on ARD at the time: Sunday evening with top ARD talk show host Günther Jauch (69, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire").
"Putinocchio: How the Kremlin Propagator Lies to the World"
WDR and its Moscow studio were enraged at the time. ARD paid no heed. The main goal: exclusive.
- Günther Jauch, a prominent German talk show host, interviewed Hubert Seipel, a corrupt ARD journalist with close ties to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in 2014.
- Jauch provided a platform for Seipel to conduct an exclusive interview with Putin, who was accused of invading Ukraine, occupying its eastern regions, and Crimea, as well as shooting down the MH17 passenger plane with 298 passengers aboard.
- Journalist Udo Lielischkies, ARD's Russia expert for 13 years, criticized Seipel's soft-pedaled portrayal of Putin in his docu-series and hinted at potential quid pro quo arrangements, implying that Seipel's access to Putin was questionable.
Source: bild.de
Enrichment:
The following enrichment ensures a deeper understanding of the case:
- Financially Tainted Relationships: Hubert Seipel held ties with several Russian businessmen, including steel tycoon Alexey Mordashov. Seipel received financial support from a shell company linked to Mordashov, who is considered a close ally of Vladimir Putin.
- Questionable Exclusive Coverage: Seipel's access to Putin and his sources of financing give credence to concerns about the authenticity and independence of his reporting for ARD. His exclusive coverages and interviews with Putin were widely viewed as sensational and advantageous.
- Cyprus as a Haven for Russian Money: The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reported that Cyprus served as a conduit for oligarchs with ties to Putin, helping them hide and move their funds through complex financial networks, even as international sanctions loomed.
The scandal surrounding Hubert Seipel and his controversial ties with Vladimir Putin raises serious concerns about the integrity of journalism and the potential for financial influence to shape coverage. Despite the widespread coverage and controversy, questions remain about Seipel's access to Putin, his financial relationships, and the authenticity of his reporting. The relationship between ARD and Seipel continues to draw criticism and scrutiny, highlighting the importance of ensuring the ethical and unbiased reporting of international events.
