Rafał Trzaskowski’s election team has publicly distanced itself from the scandal surrounding a smear campaign targeting right-wing candidates. However, online criticism is growing. “Caught red-handed? Just deny, deny, deny – straight out of the secret police playbook,” wrote Rafał Bochenek, spokesperson for Law and Justice (PiS). Many individuals involved are directly connected to the Democratic Party, including former staffers from the Obama and Harris campaigns.
Yesterday, the Polish research agency NASK released a statement saying that “political ads on Facebook have been identified that may be financed from abroad.”
But that narrative fell apart following today’s publication by the news outlet wp.pl. According to the report, the illegal political ads related to Poland’s presidential elections were linked to a company called Estratos, which has been working with the activist group Akcja Demokracja.
At the helm of Akcja Demokracja, which has been spearheading harsh attacks on civic presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, is Jakub Kocjan.
Since this morning, a group photo has been circulating in the media space, showing not only Kocjan but also… Krzysztof Gawkowski, the Minister of Digital Affairs. Not long ago, the two took part together in a meeting “on the risks to the integrity of the elections.”
What’s more – until recently, Kocjan served as an aide to a Civic Coalition (KO) MP, and in 2020 he received an award from Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. He even has a photo with him!
And that photo comes straight from Kocjan’s own Facebook profile. It was taken during Trzaskowski’s Campus event.
Trzaskowski’s Team Responds
As expected, Trzaskowski’s campaign team issued a response online. This scandal is casting a shadow over the Civic Coalition candidate, especially with just three days left until the first round of the presidential election.
“Trzaskowski’s team informed NASK and META two days ago about campaigns that are not ours, and we categorically distance ourselves from them!” — reads a post by campaign spokesperson Wiola Paprocka.
Sztab @trzaskowski_ już 2 dni temu poinformował NASK oraz META o kampaniach, które nie są kampaniami naszego komitetu i stanowczo się od nich odcinamy! pic.twitter.com/5NwHyn5CR5
— Wiola Paprocka (@WiolaPaprocka) May 15, 2025
“The Height of Arrogance”
However, these weak attempts at damage control seem to have had little effect. The post is being flooded with negative comments. One of them comes from PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek.
“This is the height of arrogance. ‘Caught red-handed? Just deny, deny, deny.’ – straight out of the secret police playbook. It’s your colleagues and associates involved in Trzaskowski’s campaign who are behind this wave of hate and aggression, aimed at discrediting Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen with slander, insinuations, and lies. Even worse, they’re doing it with funds from state-owned companies run by your government’s appointees, bypassing all legal campaign financing rules. You know you can’t win these elections fairly, so weeks ago you unleashed PO-affiliated trolls to rescue Trzaskowski’s campaign.” — the politician wrote.
Szczyt bezczelności❗️"Złapany za rękę krzycz, że to nie Twoja ręka" – ubeckie metody komunikacyjne… To Wasi koledzy, znajomi anagażujący się w kampanię Trzaskowskiego są źrodłem hejtu i agresji mających na celu zdyskredytowanie @NawrockiKn i @SlawomirMentzen pomówieniami,… https://t.co/sWXlbSRG9x
— Rafał Bochenek (@RafalBochenek) May 15, 2025
Estratos Linked to Polish Election Scandal
Estratos Digital focuses on digital political marketing and campaigning, with a particular emphasis on online fundraising. According to the company, it supports progressive political initiatives, social movements, NGOs, and civic campaigns. It offers digital tools designed to engage supporters, analyze data, and run internet-based electoral campaigns.
The majority shareholder of Estratos is the Higher Ground Labs Fund III LP, which is linked to the U.S. Democratic Party. In Hungary, Estratos has faced allegations of illegally processing personal data and concealing the sources of campaign financing.
Many individuals involved are directly connected to the Democratic Party, including former staffers from the Obama and Harris campaigns.
Civic Coalition and Rafał Trzaskowski’s campaign team to manipulate public opinion
Recent materials revealed by TVP World exposed that Trzaskowski’s coalition resorted to the same behind-the-scenes, non-transparent practices that Estratos employed abroad. This is not only a disgrace for the Civic Coalition’s campaign team but also a real threat to the sovereignty of the Polish electoral process. Using foreign funds and tools to interfere in domestic politics is a blatant disregard for the law and a betrayal of the interests of Polish citizens in favor of narrowly defined partisan goals. Such actions not only undermine the principles of democratic fairness but also demonstrate a deep cynicism towards Polish voters.
Ciekawe za ile się kupuje takiego @Jakub_Kocjan. pic.twitter.com/Bc7JtPKxFI
— John Bingham (@MrJohnBingham) May 15, 2025