Exclusive: Trump Official Helped Secure US Visa for Fugitive Polish Minister
Landau ordered officials to expedite the visa as Poland sought 26 charges against Ziobro over alleged fund misuse and judicial reforms.
- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to issue a visa for former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, allowing him to flee from Hungary to the United States.
- Poland is seeking to prosecute Ziobro on 26 charges stemming from alleged misuse of money from the Justice Fund; he denies wrongdoing, asserting political targeting by the ruling coalition.
- Landau justified the visa's urgency by presenting the matter as a "national security issue," enabling Ziobro to secure entry before Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar assumed office on May 9.
- The Polish Foreign Ministry told Reuters last week that Warsaw would ask Washington and Budapest for "the legal and factual basis" under which Ziobro was able to leave Hungary.
- Amid these tensions, the Pentagon last week canceled the deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland, while President Donald Trump and his administration claim European conservatives are often targeted by "lawfare.
17 Articles
17 Articles
U.S. Visa Approval for Polish Minister Sparks Controversy
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau facilitated a visa for former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, allowing him to escape to the U.S. amidst criminal charges in Poland. The move has stirred controversy, reflecting the political complexities and alliances between the United States, Poland, and Hungary.
The former Polish minister suspected of corruption was thus able to leave Hungary before Péter Magyar was inaugurated.
Zbigniew Ziobro has been in the United States since leaving Hungary in early May, where he was supposed to receive asylum from Viktor Orbán in December. He obtained the visa before the inauguration of the new Hungarian Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, on May 9. Magyar had announced that he would extradite Ziobro to Poland on his first day in office. Ziobro in the U.S. Prosecutors plan to bring 26 charges against the PiS politician, primarily concer…
The Detroit News
The Straits TimesTrump official helped secure US visa for fugitive Polish minister
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau aided a Polish fugitive to flee to the US from Hungary.
Exclusive: Trump official helped secure US visa for fugitive Polish minister
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for a fugitive former Polish cabinet minister, allowing him to flee to the United States from Hungary, three people familiar with the matter said.
Ziobro traveled from Hungary to the United States, despite the Polish authorities having revoked his passport, allegedly to obtain a journalist visa, which was helped by the deputy head of the American diplomacy. In Poland, Ziobro faces 26 charges, including corruption.
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