Germany's parliament on Thursday fined the opposition Free Democratic Party some 4.3 million ($6.06 million) for accepting illegal donations between 1996 and 2000.
The fine is related to a series of untraceable cash donations passed by Juergen Moellemann, the one-time party chief in North Rhine-Westphalia state, to the regional party's treasurer.
The donations were then broken up and paid into the party coffers under false names, the lower house of parliament's administrative office said.
"These donations are each viewed as violating laws that prevent political parties from accepting donations from sources that cannot be traced," the office said in a statement.
FDP treasurer Hermann Otto Solms said his party _ which he described as "the victim of the criminal acts of individuals" _ had for years been working to clarify the matter. Moellemann, a former German economy minister, died in 2003.
Solms said the fine would not hurt the party's campaign for Germany's Sept. 27 election.
Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently governs in a "grand coalition" with the center-left Social Democrats, hopes to form a new center-right coalition with the pro-business FDP.
Recent polls have pointed to a majority for the center-right combination.
