2000
On January 3, prosecutors in Bonn launched an investigation against Helmut Kohl on grounds of suspicions of embezzlement to the detriment of his party.
On January 10, Wolfgang Schäuble confirmed that he had received a cash donation of 100,000 DM from Schreiber in 1994. However, Schäuble's account of the exact circumstances of the donation and its subsequent use were rejected by then CDU party treasurer BB.
On January 14, Manfred Kanther, former chairman of the CDU in Hesse and former German interior minister, admitted that his party had maintained secret foreign bank accounts since 1983. At the time of this declaration, these accounts contained assets of 17 million DM.
On January 17, prosecutors in Wiesbaden launched an investigation into the CDU Hesse's financial dealing. The investigation concerned, among others, Manfred Kanther and Horst Weiyrauch.
During an emergency session of the CDU board on January 18, Helmut Kohl is asked to suspend his honorary party chairmanship until he divulges the names of the donors. In response, Helmut Kohl decides to resign his honorary chairmanship.
On January 27, the Hesse Minister-President Roland Koch reports that in 1983, 18 million DM had been transferred to Switzerland before being channeled back to the CDU in Hesse as alleged inheritances of credits.
On January 30, CDU tax advisor Weyrauch declares that in 1983 the Hesse CDU had transferred 20.8 million DM to Swiss escrow bank accounts due to imminent changes in German party financing law.
On February 15, Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse fines the federal CDU party a record 41 million DM for party financing violations committed by the CDU in Hessen. The CDU appeals this decision.
On February 16, Wolfgang Schäuble resigns as CDU party chairman and CDU/CSU Bundestag leader following mouting political pressure within his party over his handling of the Schreiber donation.
Angela Merkel was elected as the new CDU chairman on April 10.
On June 4th, following a private fundraising appeal, Helmut Kohl transferred more than 8 million Euro to the CDU as compensation for material damages caused by the scandal.
In October 2000 it became known that the money given to Kiep by Schreiber in August 1991 originated from a slush fund established by the company Thyssen in connection with a tank export deal with Saudi Arabia.
On December 1st, Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse imposed a fine of 7.79 million DM on the CDU in connection with improperly accounted donations accepted by Kohl.
Read more about this topic: CDU Donations Scandal (1999)