The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control recently sanctioned a senior official with a critical role in Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government. On January 7, 2024, OFAC designated Antal Rogan, Hungary’s Minister in Charge of Orban’s Cabinet Office, for using his official position to enrich himself and other party loyalists. Rogan controls many government entities in Hungary, including the National Communications Office, the Digital Government Agency, and the Hungarian Tourism Agency, and has been a Member of Parliament in Hungary since 1998. According to OFAC, Rogan has awarded pubic contracts and resources to parties loyal to himself and the Fidesz political party and has engaged in schemes to divert the proceeds of several strategic sectors in Hungary’s economy to himself and party loyalists.
Rogan was designated pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Right Accountability Act that targets those who engage in serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. As a result of this designation, all property and interests in property of the designee within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated person. In addition, entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated persons are also blocked.