The Internal Security Agency (ABW) will investigate allegations of illegal financing in Rafał Trzaskowski’s campaign. “There’s a real risk this will be swept under the rug,” warns Krzysztof Szczucki.
“If the prosecutor’s office entrusts the Internal Security Agency—which reports directly to the Prime Minister, who happens to be Trzaskowski’s party superior—with the investigation or even just certain actions in the case, I have no illusions that the proceedings will be conducted fairly. There is a real possibility it will be swept under the rug. This decision suggests that the prosecutor’s office is not genuinely interested in a swift and honest resolution,” said Krzysztof Szczucki in a comment to the portal Niezależna.pl, regarding the launch of an investigation into whether so-called “dirty money” was used to finance Trzaskowski’s campaign.
Dirty Money in Trzaskowski’s Campaign?
The Republika outlet reported today that an investigation has been launched into the alleged illegal financing of Rafał Trzaskowski’s campaign. On June 9, 2025, a prosecutor from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków, delegated to the Małopolska Branch of the National Prosecutor’s Office Department for Organized Crime and Corruption, officially initiated the investigation under Article 299§1 of the Polish Penal Code. This provision pertains to money laundering, i.e., the use of funds derived from criminal activities.
A key element in the case is the fact that the investigation will be conducted by the Internal Security Agency (ABW), at the request of the prosecutor’s office. Given that this agency is subordinate to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, concerns have been raised about the impartiality of the investigation.
Can the ABW Withstand Political Pressure?
Niezależna.pl reached out to Prof. Krzysztof Szczucki, former head of the Government Legislation Center and current MP with the Law and Justice (PiS) party, for comment. He noted that “from a procedural standpoint, it is permissible for a prosecutor to assign an investigation—or specific procedural actions—to the appropriate agency, in accordance with legal provisions.”
“But in this particular case, involving an investigation into Rafał Trzaskowski’s campaign, if the Internal Security Agency—which reports to the Prime Minister, his party superior—is put in charge, then I have no doubt the process won’t be properly conducted, and the case could end up being swept under the rug,” he said.
He emphasized that “it was a good decision by the prosecutor’s office to open the investigation,” but added, “perhaps they did so only because the evidence was overwhelming and a refusal would be indefensible. At the same time, this decision suggests that the prosecutor’s office is not truly interested in a swift and honest resolution.”
Asked why the prosecutor’s statement only refers to money laundering and not explicitly to illegal campaign financing, Szczucki responded, “Money laundering actually gets to the heart of the issue. Illegal financing is a matter for the National Electoral Commission to handle. The prosecutor, meanwhile, will determine whether the campaign was financed using legally obtained funds. That is the legal basis for launching the investigation.”
The investigation was initiated following a formal complaint filed by Radosław Tadajewski, represented by attorney Bartosz Lewandowski. Its aim is to establish the origins of the funds used to produce and promote campaign materials, including election spots published on the Facebook pages Wiesz Jak Nie Jest and Stół Dorosłych during the presidential campaign, as well as to identify the individuals responsible for the content and the funding behind it.