Merkel meets coalition allies to defuse crisis after scandal

The state prosecutor's office in Hannover, which is conducting the investigation, said their raids on the houses and offices of Edathy provided very little evidence relevant for a criminal prosecution against Edathy and they believed that he had received advanced information about the raids.

Edathy was the SPD's home affairs spokesman until August and a member of the party's managing board.

He unexpectedly laid down his seat in the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, on February 7, few days before the prosecutor's office opened its probe.

Ahead of yesterday's meeting, Merkel called for a thorough clarification of the child pornography affair involving Edathy.