The United States has imposed sanctions on Antal Rogán, Chief of Staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, citing significant corruption during his tenure. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures, accusing Rogán of orchestrating a state-operated corruption system that benefited government-aligned businesspeople.
Rogán, a close aide to Orbán since 2015, has been a central figure in Hungary’s political landscape. The sanctions, enacted under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, freeze any of Rogán’s assets within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit American entities from conducting business with him.
U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, described Rogán as a key figure in Hungary’s “kleptocratic ecosystem,” highlighting extensive corruption among officials.
The Hungarian government has criticized the sanctions as politically motivated, suggesting that they may strain relations with the incoming U.S. administration. This development comes amid ongoing concerns over Hungary’s democratic backslide and its closer ties with Russia and China.
The European Commission has not commented on the sanctions. The designation under the Global Magnitsky Act could be reversed by the incoming administration after a thorough review.
