Jürgen Binder

Jürgen Klaus Binder (* 21st May 1947 in Leutkirch im Allgäu ) is a former German politician ( CDU ), the 1980-1997 district administrator of the Sigmaringen district was. With the so-called Binder affair, he made headlines across Germany. The tabloid Bild and the news magazine Der Spiegel reported in detail at the time.

The Tübingen regional council under regional president Hubert Wicker suspended Binder from the district administrator's office on February 17, 1997 in accordance with Section 89 of the State Disciplinary Code (LDO).

Life

Jürgen Binder was elected District Administrator of the Sigmaringen District on June 30, 1980; he was inaugurated on July 10, 1980. He was the successor to Dietmar Schlee (CDU), who at that time had been appointed minister of social affairs in the state government of Baden-Württemberg . Binder was re-elected in 1988 and 1996. When he was appointed to office in 1980, he was the youngest district administrator to ever assume this position in Baden-Württemberg.

Binder performed a number of honorary functions and was represented on numerous committees by virtue of his office. From 1993 to 1997 he was chairman of the Fürst-Carl-Stiftung , a foundation for the promotion of talented students and young scientists at the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences . In addition, from 1989 to 1993 he was chairman of the Association of Friends and Supporters of the Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences

Binder affair

At the end of 1996 Binder was confronted with allegations of abuse of office , the public prosecutor's office investigated against him on suspicion of infidelity. When more and more questionable business trips and other customs, such as a company car for 140,000 German marks, which was provided to him as chairman of the administrative board of the Kreissparkasse Sigmaringen , were exposed by the media, he was suspended from his office.

The Binder affair caused severe tremors in the Sigmaringen district. Above all, the CDU, which is dominant in the district, suffered serious damage to its image from the misconduct of CDU member Binder. He anticipated an impending expulsion from the party by resigning from the party himself in February 1997.

His trial began on February 8, 1999. The indictment included 301 cases of infidelity - 230 of which were fraudulent - and misuse of academic titles. Before the Hechingen district court , Binder was remorseful. He largely admitted the allegations that the prosecution made against him. Several witnesses incriminated him. The court sentenced Binder to a two-year suspended prison term. On February 17, 1999, Binder was found guilty of infidelity in 252 cases, 232 of which were unrelated to fraud. He had also abused official titles.

The dismissed district administrator had to repay more than the equivalent of 100,000 euros in travel expenses. The Sigmaringen administrative court largely dismissed a complaint by Binder against a corresponding decision by the Tübingen regional council. The former district administrator violated his official duties with gross negligence. He had trips accounted for as business trips even though the business purpose was not given or the costs did not have to be borne by the administration. Therefore, he had to repay hospitality and accommodation costs in the amount of 222,848.91 German marks (113,940.84 euros).

Chronological course

• April 17, 1996: An anonymous letter with vague allegations about Jürgen Binder's numerous trips is received by the municipal examination institute in Stuttgart.
• July 22, 1996: A second anonymous letter is received by the municipal examination institute in Stuttgart. This time the allegations are more specific and there are supporting documents attached.
• November 25, 1996: The responsible public prosecutor in Hechingen receives an anonymous letter with allegations against Binder.
• December 16, 1996: The police and public prosecutor's office search Binder's office in the Sigmaringen district office . Numerous files are confiscated.
• February 17, 1997: Binder is provisionally removed from office by order of the Tübingen regional council.
• August 27, 1998: The Hechingen public prosecutor's office charges Jürgen Binder with embezzlement and fraud.
• February 18, 1999: The ex-district administrator, who had already been removed from office, is sentenced by the large criminal chamber of the Hechingen district court to two years' imprisonment, suspended for four years, for infidelity in 252 cases and fraud in 232 cases. The court put the damage at around 160,000 German marks.
• October 20, 1999: The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe upholds the Hechinger judgment. This had been too mild for the prosecution.

Individual evidence

1. ^ The district administrators of the new district of Sigmaringen since 1973 . In: Meinrad Häberle (Ed.): The district of Sigmaringen, 1925-1972: a contribution to its history . Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Sigmaringen 1985; 206. ISBN 3-79954-081-4
2. ↑ Report Miles and more. Well eaten, well traveled: Miles and more . In: Der Spiegel . No. 5 , 1999, p. 55 ( Online - Feb. 1, 1999 ).
3. ^ Chronicle of the community of Sigmaringendorf, page 623
4. ↑ District Administrator has to pay back . In: Südkurier of October 10, 2002
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Statement from the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg on the allegations against the district administrator of the Sigmaringen district Jürgen Binder from February 21, 1997  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 12 kB)  

Literature / sources

• Josef-Otto Freudenreich: The land of the district administrators (about the self-image of the district administrators in Upper Swabia ). In: Josef-Otto Freudenreich (ed.): “We can do everything.” Felt, corruption and friendship in the model country (pp. 49–62). Klöpfer & Meyer Verlag Tübingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-940086-12-9 .
• Manfred Dieterle-Jöchle (dim): The deep fall of a Sigmaringer district administrator . In: Südkurier of July 3, 2007
• Manfred Dieterle-Jöchle (dim): A district administrator of a special kind . In: Südkurier from August 25, 2005