Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, has joined a brutal smear campaign against Karol Nawrocki, citing statements from none other than… Jacek Murański. In a surprising twist, he was called out for it by – believe it or not – a journalist from Onet!
Onet vs. the Facts
On Monday, the German-Swiss news portal Onet published an article in which two anonymous individuals, presented as acquaintances of Karol Nawrocki, accused him of allegedly participating in the organization of bringing prostitutes to the Grand Hotel in Sopot during his time there as a security guard.
Tusk Cites… a Freak Fight Participant
And, of course, Donald Tusk decided to run with this narrative publicly. In a television interview, he quoted… Jacek Murański, a participant in so-called “freak fight” events.
In a video posted on social media, Murański accused Nawrocki of not being truthful about the nature of his relationship with Patryk Masiak, also known as “Wielki Bu.” And just like that, this became a credible source of information for Tusk – the Prime Minister of Poland. Is that even possible? Apparently so. Here’s what Tusk said:
“I’m aware of the so-called kompromat, the dirt that Patryk Masiak, ‘Wielki Bu’, boasted about, and the influence he has over Karol Nawrocki,”
he quoted, adding that “Wielki Bu” allegedly said he “has Nawrocki by the throat” and that Nawrocki “would do anything for him.”
But the Festival of Embarrassment Doesn’t End There
Tusk also admitted that – according to Murański’s account – Nawrocki’s tasks several years ago included “making sure the client paid, and keeping track of the time with regard to Masiak’s girls.”
Lawsuit Against Onet
During a press conference yesterday in front of a Warsaw court, politicians from the Law and Justice party announced that Karol Nawrocki had filed a lawsuit against Onet. The presidential candidate accuses the media outlet of defamation and running a smear campaign aimed at eliminating him from public life.
An Onet Journalist vs. His Own Outlet’s Narrative
Amidst all this, even within Onet – the portal that published the damaging article – a “voice of reason” has emerged. Andrzej Stankiewicz, a journalist for the site, doesn’t buy Murański’s story. Or the fact that the Prime Minister is quoting it.
“The Prime Minister quoted Mr. Murański Sr., saying that Nawrocki’s tasks years ago included ‘making sure the client paid, and keeping track of the time for Masiak’s girls.’ So, according to the Prime Minister and Mr. Murański, Nawrocki was allegedly overseeing prostitutes in the Grand Hotel who belonged to Mr. Wielki Bu’s harem. There’s just one problem: Mr. Karol started working at the Grand in 2006. At that time, Mr. Wielki Bu was 16 years old. It’s a bit hard to believe – at least in the world I know, although the world is changing fast – that someone could run a harem of prostitutes at 16. I’d like to repeat this question directly to the Prime Minister: What is he even talking about?”