German journalist group expels Putin biographer amid Russian payments

German journalist association Netzwerk Recherche has expelled Hubert Seipel from its membership, after the biographer of Russian President Vladimir Putin was revealed to have accepted funds from Russian sources.

"Hubert Seipel has broken the fundamental rules of independent journalism with his behaviour and massively damaged the credibility of our profession," said chairman Daniel Drepper.

Seipel was unanimously expelled at a members' meeting on Friday, the group announced on Saturday.

Reports emerged in November suggesting that Seipel, an award-winning TV journalist and author, received €600,000 ($650,000) from Russian entrepreneur Alexei Mordashov.

The money is said to have been intended to support Seipel's projects, but Mordashov is widely considered a Russian oligarch and was added to the European Union's sanctions list of Russian targets in February 2022.

"The payments admitted to by Hubert Seipel contradict all rules of journalistic honesty and professionalism. With his actions, he has caused serious damage to investigative journalism and the reputation of our profession in the public eye," said the group.

After the allegations came to light, the Hamburg publishing house Hoffmann und Campe stopped selling Seipel's books on Putin in November. Two of his non-fiction books on the Russian president had been published in recent years.

According to Seipel, the board of Netzwerk Recherche asked him to comment on the accusations and suggested that he leave the association immediately.