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El Ciudadano

Original article: PNL hizo pagos millonarios a empresa de un uniformado en servicio activo y Kaiser responde: “Nadie tenía idea de que fuese de un militar”

The Commercial Relationship Between the National Libertarian Party (PNL) and a Company Owned by an Active Duty Army Officer has unveiled a controversial issue that highlights the boundaries between politics and the Armed Forces in Chile.

According to a report by Reportea, the far-right party, led by Johannes Kaiser, made millions in payments to Comercial Comblain SpA, a company owned by Major Jorge Schreiner Thennet, who is currently stationed in the Macrozona Sur. When questioned by the media, the former presidential candidate asserted that within the party, «no one had any idea that this matter was related to a military person.»

This situation raises eyebrows considering Chilean regulations that prohibit military personnel from political affiliation, with the Contraloría stating that «military personnel should not mix with politics.» However, the law does not explicitly prohibit active-duty officers from conducting business with political parties, elected officials, or presidential candidates.

Accounting records from the PNL, obtained by journalists Francisco Lucero and Benjamín Bravo for the book «Johannes Kaiser and the National Libertarians,» reveal a steady flow of funds to the officer’s company between November 2024 and January 2025. During this period, prior to the party’s official legal status, transfers amounting to at least one million three hundred thousand pesos were registered for the printing of «pins» and other political merchandise. The first deposit, made on November 15, 2024, for one hundred thousand pesos, was noted as an «advance on the advance,» while a second payment of three hundred thirty-five thousand pesos, made days later at 1:52 AM, was for the «balance advance for pins.»

These payments, according to the records, were made from a RUT account that, while not specifying the account holder, Kaiser publicly acknowledged belonged to him and was provided to the party for its management during its formation period.

The business relationship not only continued but intensified following the official establishment of the PNL, with new disbursements raising the total amount over five million pesos. According to the party’s active transparency records, between June and October 2025, at least eight direct transfers to Comblain SpA were made totaling 3,479,350 pesos, again for creating products for the party’s shop. During Johannes Kaiser’s presidential campaign, spending surged with two invoices issued in November 2025: one for 2,990,470 pesos for the production of one thousand pins and another for 2,257,668 pesos for three hundred campaign-related coins. These expenses were reimbursed to the Electoral Service (Servel), and according to the investigation, the request for fund reimbursement was accepted, thereby formalizing an economic link that, while not illegal, raises ethical concerns due to the regulation requiring neutrality from active-duty military personnel.

Jorge Schreiner himself, when contacted by the authors of the book, inquired via written message, «Is this authorized by anyone from the party? By whom?» He later asserted that his business only involves selling metal alloy products without any political connection.

On his Instagram account, the officer has also promoted coins related to the Republican Party and President José Antonio Kast, indicating a business pattern with far-right groups. The company, established in May 2023, has Schreiner as its sole shareholder and has become a regular supplier for far-right entities, even offering special prices to members of the Chilean Rifle Association, an organization led by Leif Kaiser, the former candidate’s brother.

Kaiser: «No One Knew It Belonged to a Military Person»

In light of the mounting evidence, Johannes Kaiser responded to Reportea, distancing himself from the responsibilities and justifying the party’s financial operations. Regarding the use of his personal account, he explained that he provided the login and management to the treasurer to avoid «contamination» in the management of resources while the PNL lacked legal status. Concerning the hiring, he defended the legality of the procedure, stating: «the fact that the PNL hires someone does not make that person a member of the PNL» and urged the investigative medium to find a regulation explicitly prohibiting these business dealings.

However, after his initial statements, Kaiser claimed to have investigated internally and maintained: «Here in the party, no one had any idea that this matter belonged to a military person, either active or retired.»

La entrada PNL Made Massive Payments to Company Owned by Active Duty Officer; Kaiser Claims: «No One Knew It Belonged to a Military Person» se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.