US Sanctions Hungarian Official Antal Rogan

The United States has imposed sanctions on Antal Rogan, a senior Hungarian government official and close aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, for alleged corruption. Rogan, who oversees Hungary's intelligence services and media machine, is accused of using his position for financial gain and rewarding political allies. The sanctions, enacted under the Global Magnitsky Act, prevent Rogan from entering the US, freeze his US assets, and prohibit US entities from doing business with him. Relations between Hungary and the US have strained under President Biden, partly due to Hungary's ties with Russia. The sanctions come as Hungary recently lost over $1 billion in EU aid due to corruption concerns, and just before Donald Trump, an ally of Orbán, takes office. Hungarian officials have not yet responded to the sanctions, which highlight ongoing international criticism of corruption in Hungary under Orbán's leadership.