US sanctions top Hungarian official for alleged corruption while in office WSOC TV [Video]

BUDAPEST, Hungary — (AP) — A senior Hungarian government official close to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was hit Tuesday with U.S. sanctions for his alleged involvement in corruption in Hungary, a rare step against a sitting official in an allied country.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Antal Rogán for corruption while in office. A key figure in Orbán’s government, Rogán is accused of using his position to broker favorable business deals with government-aligned businesspeople, a key part of European Union penalties against Hungary that have withheld billions in funding over official corruption concerns.

Speaking at a news conference in Budapest on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said Rogán was “a primary architect, implementer and beneficiary” of systemic corruption in Hungary which he described as a “kleptocratic ecosystem.”

“For too long, senior government officials in Hungary have used positions of power to enrich themselves and their families, …