Over the past month, entities formally independent of Rafał Trzaskowski have spent vast sums—often on hostile political agitation—on Facebook advertising. In many instances, these advertisements were of a slanderous nature and collectively amounted to nearly double the expenditure of Karol Nawrocki’s official election committee. In videos unaffiliated with any official campaign, both Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen are subjected to severe attacks, while Rafał Trzaskowski is portrayed in a positive light. The websites disseminating this content were registered by a German company previously linked to the registration of pro-Russian disinformation sites.
The activity of these mysterious, well-funded profiles was first publicized by Law and Justice (PiS) MP Dariusz Matecki. He noted that within Facebook’s political advertisement repository, anonymous pages had emerged, spending tens of thousands of zlotys daily to discredit Nawrocki and Mentzen while simultaneously promoting Trzaskowski.
We examined political advertising expenditures on Facebook and Instagram between April 7 and May 6, 2025. The largest amount—PLN 272,000—was spent by Rafał Trzaskowski’s electoral committee. Karol Nawrocki’s committee followed closely with PLN 264,000.
However, the third-highest spender drew particular attention: the page “Wiesz jak nie jest” (“You Know How It Isn’t”), operating under the domain wieszjakniejest.pl, which was created on March 28, 2025. Despite appearing as a hastily assembled amateur website, this anonymous entity spent over PLN 208,000 on political advertising within a single month.
What content does this profile—established shortly before the election and heavily financed—publish? Primarily, it targets Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen. One video suggests that Nawrocki, a candidate supported by PiS, associates with criminals. “Nawrocki doesn’t hide that his friends are criminals and gangsters. Seriously, do you want someone like that to govern Poland?” reads the caption. Another video features a long-haired man in glasses urging voters not to support “puppets,” claiming that a vote for Nawrocki is a vote for Jarosław Kaczyński. In an earlier clip, a woman, unidentified and dressed flamboyantly, argues that electing the IPN chairman would mean less funding for “hospitals for all” and more for “Nawrocki’s churches.”
Another Facebook profile, named “Stół dorosłych” (“The Adults’ Table”) and linked to stoldoroslych.pl, spent over PLN 80,000 on election agitation. In contrast, this initiative adopts a “positive” tone, consistently praising Rafał Trzaskowski. Its videos assert that “Trzaskowski is the only right choice,” citing his support for contraception access, his opposition to doctors invoking conscience clauses, and his solidarity with teachers, doctors, and minorities. “Vote for the common good! Still undecided before the election? So was I. But Trzaskowski is the best choice,” implores one of the posts.
A cursory glance reveals that the same individuals are likely behind both “Wiesz jak nie jest” and “Stół dorosłych.” Their websites share an almost identical design, lack substantive information, use a fictitious address, and were both registered via the same German company—1API GmbH. This firm is widely criticized online, holding an abysmal 1.1 rating on Google, and is notorious for registering dubious or fraudulent domains.
It is worth noting that 1API GmbH’s name has surfaced in press reports concerning the Russian disinformation campaign known as “Doppelganger,” allegedly funded by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. The campaign aimed to undermine international support for Ukraine, promote pro-Russian sentiments, and influence elections in the U.S. and other countries. It employed fake websites imitating reputable Western media, such as Der Spiegel and the Financial Times, along with disinformation techniques like cloaking and social media bots. After the U.S. Department of Justice seized 32 domains associated with the campaign in September 2024, Russian operatives reportedly registered new domains via 1API GmbH. These were later shut down following an investigation by the journalistic platform CORRECTIV.
Our investigation confirmed that 1API GmbH also registered globodiroma.it, a website used to spread Moscow’s propaganda in Moldova ahead of the 2024 presidential elections—one that continues to disseminate Kremlin narratives to this day. Furthermore, the African edition of Russian outlet Sputnik (sputniknews.africa) was registered through the same German company, now being utilized by the enigmatic operators of the sites attacking Karol Nawrocki and promoting Rafał Trzaskowski.