Austrian leader hopes to stay on amid bribery allegations

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is denying wrongdoing and making clear he doesn’t plan to step down despite being under investigation in a bribery probe. However, the partner party in Kurz’s coalition government said Thursday that the allegations left a “disastrous” impression and raised questions about the chancellor’s “ability to act.” Anti-corruption prosecutors said Wednesday they are investigating, nine other people and three unidentified organizations on suspicion of breach of trust and bribery. The case centers on allegations that Finance Ministry money was used between 2016 and at least 2018 to pay for manipulated polls that were favorable to Kurz and published in a newspaper without being declared as advertising.