US Imposes Sanctions on Hungarian Official Antal Rogán Over Corruption
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on Antal Rogán, a high-ranking Hungarian government official, due to his involvement in corruption in Hungary, the US Department of the Treasury announced on January 7.
The US Treasury Department described Rogán as a corrupt government official, as he created a system where public contracts and resources were distributed to those loyal to him and Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party. This system allegedly allowed loyal “cronies” to control strategic sectors of the Hungarian economy.
The US sanctions, imposed on Rogán, were seen as a response to the systemic public corruption in Hungary, which the US government believes affects its national interests. “The corruption in Hungary has a direct impact on US interests. The systemic corruption, for which Antal Rogán stands, impairs Hungary’s decision-making in matters affecting the security of the United States and our allies” said the outgoing US Ambassador to Budapest, David Pressman.
Pressman, who will leave Budapest next week, criticized Rogán, saying he was the architect and beneficiary of the corruption system in Hungary, using his office for personal enrichment and to benefit not only himself but also those loyal to his party.
The Hungarian government has already responded to the US move, with the country’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister, János Lázár, saying the decision of the “failing government” could not be taken seriously. Lázár described the US statement on corruption as a “lie” and the US administration’s step as a “gross interference in Hungary’s sovereignty and internal affairs.” Budapest will address the issue with the Trump administration once Trump takes office, Lázár added.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, also criticized the US decision, calling it personal revenge by the US Ambassador against Antal Rogán. “How nice that the United States is being led by people who see our country as a friend, not an enemy” Szijjártó wrote on Facebook.
The US move has also been criticized by some in the US, with the former US Ambassador to Hungary, David Cornstein, calling it an “example of the hostile attitude of the current US government towards Hungary, which will continue until the very end.” Cornstein also hopes that the cooperation between Budapest and Washington will “bloom” during Trump’s second term.