Editing Franz Josef Strauss (section)

==Lockheed bribery scandals==

{{main|Lockheed bribery scandals}}

Former [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] lobbyist {{ill|Ernest Hauser|de|Ernest F. Hauser}} admitted to investigators during a U.S. Senate hearing that [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Minister of Defence]] Strauss and his party had received at least $10 million in remuneration for arranging West Germany's purchase of 900 [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter|F-104G Starfighters]] in 1961, which later became part of the [[Lockheed bribery scandals]]. The party, its leaders, and Strauss all denied the allegations; and Strauss filed a slander suit against Hauser. Strauss and Hauser had met after World War II in [[Schongau, Bavaria]], where Hauser was stationed. Hauser worked for U.S. Intelligence and Strauss was Hauser's translator.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}} They were good friends, which Strauss later denied, in a denial belied by the fact that Strauss had attended Hauser's wedding.{{Disputed inline|date=February 2018|reason=Strauss said they were not.}} As the allegations were not corroborated, the issue was dropped.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914576-2,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015083109/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914576-2,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 October 2007|title=Scandals: The Lockheed Mystery (Contd.)|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=13 September 1976|access-date=6 December 2011}} {{subscription required}}</ref> It was known at the time that a Senate hearing in the U.S. revealed that Lockheed associates paid Strauss a bribe to purchase the planes, due to Boeing suing Lockheed over the lost German business. In a Senate hearing in the U.S., it was admitted by Lockheed associates that the funds were disbursed to Strauss. In spite of this fact, Strauss was never indicted in Germany due to his influence. Lockheed at that time was on the brink of collapse; the German contract was key to the company's survival. The F-104G's development had been expensive; the U.S. Air Force refused to purchase the plane due to its unnecessary features. The German contract proved to be a windfall for Lockheed. After Germany ordered the fighter planes from Lockheed, many more European governments started to place their trust in the Starfighter and ordered more planes, saving Lockheed from financial ruin.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}