By Anita Komuves and Krisztina Than
BUDAPEST (Reuters) -The United States imposed sanctions on a senior member of the Hungarian government for alleged corruption, the U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday, a move Budapest said it would challenge when President-elect Donald Trump takes power.
Accusations of corruption and cronyism have dogged Prime Minister Viktor Orban since he came to power in 2010, while Budapest’s relations with Washington have become increasingly strained during the presidency of Joe Biden, due in part to Budapest’s warm ties with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine.
Orban has repeatedly denied allegations of corruption.
The sanctions target Antal Rogan, a close aide of Orban who has run his cabinet office since 2015.
Rogan has been close to Orban for decades, running his government’s media machine and helping orchestrate his election campaigns. He currently also oversees the secret services of Hungary, a NATO member.
The U.S. Treasury accused Rogan of using his role to secure financial benefits for himself and his political allies.
“Those closely connected to the ruling political party have acquired massive empires of holdings,” U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman told a news conference. “Antal Rogan is a primary architect, implementer, and beneficiary of this system of corruption.”
Pressman has been an outspoken critic of Orban’s government during his time in Budapest, lambasting it for strengthening ties with Russia.
Orban’s cabinet office, which Rogan leads, dismissed the move as the “last, petty revenge of the outgoing, unsuccessful American ambassador”.
“After Jan 20 the United States of America will have a new government and a new president. After their inauguration we will take the necessary legal steps,” it said in an emailed statement.
Orban and his Fidesz party have been among Trump’s most vocal supporters in Europe. Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
In 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on five Bulgarian government officials for corruption.
(Reporting by Anita Komuves and Kristina Than, writing by Alan Charlish;Editing by Alison Williams, Gareth Jones and Tomasz Janowski)
