In June 2024, the German public news station [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk|NDR]] revealed that under Stark-Watzinger's leadership, theher Federal Ministry of Education and Research requestedstarted investigations into whether the ministryMinistry could strip funding from signatories of an open letter critizing the management of [[Free University of Berlin|Freie Universität Berlin]] of its behaviour concerning students who had participated in a pro-palestinian protest camp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NDR |title=Als Reaktion auf Kritik: Bildungsministerium wollte Fördermittel streichen |url=https://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/Als-Reaktion-auf-Kritik-Bildungsministerium-wollte-Foerdermittel-streichen-,watzinger102.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=daserste.ndr.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tries |first=Emma |date=2024-06-11 |title=Reaktionen auf veröffentlichte E-Mails: Stark-Watzinger stark in der Kritik |url=https://taz.de/!6013421/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |language=de |issn=0931-9085}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-11 |title="Skandalöser Vorgang": Ministerium soll wegen Offenem Brief Sanktionen gegen Dozenten geprüft haben |url=https://www.t-online.de/-/100425104 |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.t-online.de |language=de}}</ref> The signatories did not comment on the situation in Israel, but pointed out the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|right to peaceful protest, freedom of assembly and freedom of expressionspeach]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Olbrisch |first=Miriam |last2=Himmelrath |first2=Armin |date=2024-06-14 |title=Bettina Stark-Watzingers Staatssekretärin soll umstrittene Prüfung beauftragt haben |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/bildung/bettina-stark-watzingers-staatssekretaerin-soll-umstrittene-pruefung-beauftragt-haben-a-5dfcbd9a-786b-4f6b-a5d0-ceeb19e43512 |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> As the affair progressed, it became clear that a "funding law review" was carried out at the instigation of the ministry's management. The ministry compiled a list of scientists who had signed the letter and received funding from the ministry. Everyone was apparently threatened with consequences under funding law. Those who signed the letter could be prosecuted and whether their funding could be withdrawn. Civil right platform "[[FragDenStaat|Frag den Staat]]" puplished documents, which showed officials from subordinate authorities who internally express their displeasure that they should create lists of scientists who should be punished.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Himmelrath |first=Armin |last2=Olbrisch |first2=Miriam |date=2024-06-24 |title=(S+) Stark-Watzinger wusste in Fördergeld-Affäre womöglich schon früher Bescheid |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bettina-stark-watzinger-wusste-in-foerdergeld-affaere-womoeglich-schon-frueher-bescheid-a-b5c544fc-ee99-4786-82a7-a089cbe249c9 |access-date=2024-06-26 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-24 |title=Wissenschaftsfreiheit: Bildungsministerium stellte Liste für Fördermittelentzug zusammen |url=https://fragdenstaat.de/blog/2024/06/24/bmbf-pruefbitte-fu-berlin-offener-brief/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=FragDenStaat |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=NDR |first=Manuel Biallas und John Goetz |title=Fördergeld-Affäre im Bildungsministerium: Weitere Mails aufgetaucht |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/panorama/bmbf-stark-watzinger-foerdergelder-100.html |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de}}</ref>
Stark-Watzinger's house wanted to initiate an investigation into whether those who signed the letter could be prosecuted and whether their funding could be withdrawn. Ministerial secretary Sabine Döring, whichwas wassaid to executing this policy, later said that she had “obviously expressed herself in a misleading way.”<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Olbrisch |first=Miriam |last2=Himmelrath |first2=Armin |date=2024-06-14 |title=Bettina Stark-Watzingers Staatssekretärin soll umstrittene Prüfung beauftragt haben |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/bildung/bettina-stark-watzingers-staatssekretaerin-soll-umstrittene-pruefung-beauftragt-haben-a-5dfcbd9a-786b-4f6b-a5d0-ceeb19e43512 |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> When this fact became public, more than 2,000 university teachers called for Stark-Watzinger to resign. Daniel Bax from the [[Die Tageszeitung|taz]] described Stark-Watzingers behaviour as an abuse of power by the minister.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bax |first=Daniel |date=2024-06-11 |title=Wissenschaftsfreiheit in Deutschland: Stark-Watzinger muss zurücktreten |url=https://taz.de/!6016855/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |language=de |issn=0931-9085}}</ref> SheWatzinger then fired Sabine Döring.<ref name=":0" />
