TV debate with 3 candidates for German Chancellor

In the second of three pre-election debates, the frontrunner to replace Angela Merkel as German chancellor faced tough questions Sunday over whether his ministry had a role in obstructing money-laundering probes.

Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democrats, who is currently Germany's finance minister, denied his office was being directly investigated by prosecutors who carried out searches last week at the country's finance and justice ministries.

The attack came from his closest rival, Armin Laschet of the center-right Union bloc, who followed up with salvos over two other financial scandals that have raised questions about Scholz's oversight in his roles as minister and previously mayor of Hamburg.