The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on senior Hungarian government official Antal Rogan—a close ally of Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
The Treasury said Rogan was involved in public sector corruption but did not go into detail.
Smith further stated, “The United States will not hesitate to hold accountable individuals, like Rogan, who use the power of their office to illicitly enrich themselves and their cronies at the expense of their country and their fellow citizens.”
Orbán has been one of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in Europe and the sanctions have been imposed just days before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO, but Orbán has maintained a good relationship with Russia and President Vladimir Putin and has been critical of the West’s support for Ukraine.
Relations between Hungary and the Biden administration have worsened over the past two years.
The Treasury accused Rogan—who has been close to Orbán for decades—of using his role to secure financial benefits for himself and his allies.
Rogan, 52, was elected to Parliament in 1998 and has played a key role in the ruling Fidesz Party.
He ran the Hungarian government’s media department and Orbán’s election campaigns and currently oversees Hungary’s intelligence services.
Rogan has been sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The United States passed and signed the Magnitsky Act into law in 2012 to penalize Russian human rights abusers. It is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax adviser who was allegedly tortured to death in 2009 while being held by Russian authorities.
In 2017, the U.S. Congress passed a global version of the Magnitsky Act, which enabled the United States to sanction individuals accused of human rights violations, regardless of their nationality.
Similar legislation has since been passed in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
The Treasury claimed Rogan controlled many government entities, including the Digital Government Agency and the Hungarian Tourism Agency, and has used his role to enrich himself and those loyal to the ruling party.
Treasury: ‘Kleptocracy’ In Hungary
“Whistleblowers in Hungary have criticized the government for operating a kleptocracy with a notable lack of transparency and equity in public and private expenditure deals made between administrators in Budapest, such as Rogan, and loyalist business leaders,” the Treasury stated.
The Treasury said the sanctions meant that “all property and interests in property” of Rogan in the United States or “in the possession or control of U.S. persons” are blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Panyi added: “Hungary’s unique golden visa scheme ... funneled profits to offshore intermediaries tied to Rogan’s associates instead of the state. Mostly unvetted Chinese—15,000 in total—were among the clients paying [300,000 euros] each.”
That is equivalent to about $310,000.
Rogan has not commented on the allegations.
“How fortunate that in just a few days, the United States will be led by people who see our country as a friend rather than an enemy.”
Kovacs further stated: “The sanctioning of minister Rogan by the U.S. Treasury is the last petty act of revenge by the outgoing, unsuccessful U.S. ambassador to Hungary [David Pressman]. After Jan. 20, the United States will have a new government and a new president. Once they take office, we will take the necessary legal steps.”
