German Defense Minister Resigns over Plagiarism Accusations

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg addresses the media in Berlin, after deciding to resign on Tuesday, over being embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. Photo by EPA/BGNES

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is resigning Tuesday, according to German media reports.

The Minister had already handed his resignation to Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and is expected to deliver a statement later during the day.

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is leaving the cabinet after coming under fire over accusations of plagiarizing part of his PhD thesis.

The Minister announced earlier he is temporarily renouncing the PhD, but vowed to keep his post.