Former justice minister and prosecutor general Zbigniew Ziobro has left Hungary and is currently in the United States, Telewizja Republika reported on the morning of Sunday, May 10, 2026. The politician, who is wanted by Polish prosecutors in connection with the Justice Fund (Fundusz Sprawiedliwości) scandal, entered the US on a American visa.
According to unofficial media reports (including Gazeta Wyborcza, Onet, and wPolityce), Ziobro flew out of Budapest on Saturday, May 9, together with his wife Patrycja Kotecka. He entered America legally on a visa – he did not receive political asylum.
Rumours About Trump and the Background to the Departure
The most widely circulated report is that the decision to grant the visa was made personally by President Donald Trump. As reported by Gazeta Wyborcza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose were opposed to letting Ziobro in, but the president ultimately gave his approval.
Another version (Onet) says Ziobro received the visa as a „journalist of Telewizja Republika” – the station was said to have played a key role in the whole operation. TV Republika announced a broad interview with the politician for the evening of May 10 – it is to be his first public appearance since changing his place of residence.
Background to the Case
Ziobro had been staying in Hungary for several months, where he enjoyed political asylum under Viktor Orbán. After the change of power in Hungary in April (an opposition victory), his position became uncertain. In Poland he is wanted with an arrest warrant and faces numerous charges in the Justice Fund affair (including abuse of power and exceeding authority). His former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, remained in Hungary – he did not receive a visa to the USA.
Polish prosecutors have announced that they will verify all information about assistance in Ziobro’s escape and may request extradition.
The article is based on reports from Telewizja Republika, Wyborcza, Onet, wPolityce and Polsat News from May 10, 2026.
