The US put under sanctions a high level Hungarian government official close to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over accusations of widespread corruption, a rare move against an allied country member of NATO.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control put Antal Rogán on the list under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Rogan is accused of schemes to control Hungarian economy, to benefit himself and the Orbán’s party Fidesz over Hungarian citizens. The US Treasury considers that Rogan’s role has been pivotal in creating a general impunity of oligarchs and other undemocratic actors. In addition, they believe that by sanctioning Rogan, US financial systems will not collaborate with and his associates, thus not aiding his “corrupt activities.”
Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman told at a news conference in Budapest that Rogan was “a primary architect” of what he described as Hungary’s “kleptocratic ecosystem.” Rogan is a somewhat mysterious figure as he prefers to operate behind the curtains of public eyes. He rarely appears in public, however is one of Orbán’s close advisors and is among the architects of the communication campaign that keeps him in power and he is also in charge of the country’s secret services.
The sanctioning is the last act of the outgoing Biden administration that sought to address Hungary’s slipping away from its Western allies and towards a more authoritarian government with closer ties with Russia and China. Hungary clashed frequently with outgoing ambassador Pressman and Orbán will surely expect the relationship between his country and the US to improve once Donald Trump takes office. Orbán has already visited Trump three times in 2024 in visits to his Mar-a-Lago residence.
