“These are millions of PLN. This is an event worth millions of PLN. And these are millions of PLN that we, as taxpayers and supporters of all political parties, used to subsidize a single candidate,” said Konfederacja MP Przemysław Wipler, commenting on TVP’s involvement in the campaign of Rafał Trzaskowski during the company’s liquidation. Speaking on TV Republika, Wipler emphasized that the law had been broken twice. A legal entity (and thus TVP) cannot transfer financial benefits or make donations to any election committee. The second issue concerns invoicing services below their actual production costs.
TVP faces two major problems
Journalists from Niezależna.pl and Gazeta Polska Codziennie examined invoices and contracts signed by Rafał Trzaskowski’s Election Committee during the campaign. As previously reported, Telewizja Polska in liquidation made its materials available to Trzaskowski’s committee at very low rates. The materials were used in social media and campaign videos, with the licensing agreement lasting throughout the campaign. In a brief comment, Rafał Trzaskowski said he had no idea what the issue was about.
“It’s about fraud, which is being covered up, but will be revealed in two years, when the people currently in power stop governing Poland,” said Przemysław Wipler (Konfederacja) on Michał Rachoń’s program on TV Republika.
He added that he had personally submitted a parliamentary inquiry on the matter, asking for precise cost details. “The information I have from people who organize such events indicates that bringing in broadcasting trucks, providing the signal, arranging the hall, the entire logistics and technical setup, hiring hosts – these are all millions of PLN. It’s an event worth millions of PLN. And these are millions of PLN that we, as taxpayers and supporters of all political parties, used to subsidize one candidate,” said Wipler. He also underlined that no material benefits can be accepted from legal entities during a campaign. “And public television, even in liquidation, is a legal entity. Therefore, it cannot support anyone or make donations to any campaign committee,” he stressed. He also pointed to a second issue.
“You cannot invoice services externally at dumping prices – that is, below the actual costs incurred. This amounts to hidden subsidizing and supporting a specific candidate,” reminded Wipler, who is, incidentally, a lawyer by education.
Trzaskowski knows nothing about anything
Michał Rachoń also asked whether Wipler was convinced by Rafał Trzaskowski’s claim that he had no idea what was going on.
“He doesn’t know these people at all. He doesn’t know where they came from or who they are. He remembers nothing. Just as he doesn’t know who illegally supported his campaign from abroad. What Hungarian and Austrian companies were doing there, as well as the former head of Hungarian intelligence linked to the current anti-Orbán opposition. He has no idea how it happened that he handed an award to a guest who was supposed to fight disinformation but took part in this operation. He doesn’t know why NASK still refuses to release documents to journalists showing how this campaign worked and how much money was spent fighting President Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen while supporting Rafał Trzaskowski. He has absolutely no idea where these people come from,” mocked Przemysław Wipler.
“Apparently, they were just passing by with some porters and a few million for negative ads on social media,” he added.