Hungary’s ousted leader, a Putin ally, accused of funding Conservative Political Action Committee in U.S.

by Karen Pearlman | April 28, 2026 11:11 pm

Photo: Viktor Orbán, public domain image via Wikipedia

By Alexander J Schorr

April 23, 2026— After a victory in April [1]by Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar[2] which ended authoritarian Viktor Orbán’s[3]16-year rule, the outgoing government has been accused of illegally[4] using state funds to finance the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the United States. CPAC is one of the most influential forces on the Republican Party.

The controversy[5] surrounding Orban and CPAC has evolved from ideological alignment[6] to allegations of serious criminal misconduct following his electoral defeat.

CPAc is an annual, multi-day gathering of conservative activists, politicians, and media personalities which is organized by the American Conservative Union. It focuses on promoting conservative policies, generating pro-conservative networking, and holding straw polls to gauge popularity for potential candidates, with the latest CPAC occurring at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

Magyar has labeled the diversion of taxpayer money to partisan political organizations like CPAC[7] a “crime.” While Magyar stated that CPAC[8] is welcome to return to Budapest, he emphasized that it must be funded privately rather than by Hungarian taxpayers. The new incoming administration has vowed to cut off all government cash to the group and launched a formal investigation through the National office for the Recovery and Protection of Public Assets.

Péter Magyar’s Background

Péter Magyar, once a loyal insider within Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, only recently became Orbán’s rival[9], where Magyar led his Tisza party[10] to a victory[11] in Hungary’s parliamentary elections. Magyar held several high-level positions, including a position as a diplomat in Brussels and managing the state-owned Student Loan Centre.

Back in March 2024, Magyar resigned from his state positions and broke with Fidesz following a scandal involving a presidential pardon for a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse. He accused the government of using ex-wife as a “scapegoat” for the controversy.

Magyar became a whistleblower, characterizing Orbán’s government as a “propaganda machine” and a system built on cronyism and mass corruption. While Magyar shares center-right and certain nationalistic leanings of Orbán’s, his political platform centers on restoring the rule of law[12] and repairing relations[13] with the European Union. He has pledged to overhaul state media and rejoin the international Criminal Court.

Orban and CPAC

The relationship between Orbán and CPAC has been marked by several other high-profile controversies over the years:

• “Mixed Race” Rhetoric: In 2022, Orbán was given a starring role at CPAC in Dallas despite international backlash for a speech in Romania where he spoke against a “mixed-race world.” The remarks were condemned by his own aides and compared to Nazi-style rhetoric.
• Media Restrictions: During CPAC events in Budapest, international news organizations like the Associated Press (AP) were repeatedly denied accreditation. The CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp[14] defended this by stating that the organization would “go Hungarian” in deciding who qualifies as a journalist.
• Promoting “Illiberal Democracy”: Critics argue that CPAC used Hungary[15] as an ideological testing ground[16], portraying Orbán’s “illiberal” rule— characterized by the dismantling of democratic checks and guardrails and weakening press freedoms— as a model for modern US conservatism.

This controversy is further complicated[17] by the deep ties between Orbán and high-ranking Republicans. Prior to his 2026 defeat, Orbán received endorsements[18] from Donald Trump and JD Vance, with Vance recently visiting Budapest just before the election to boost Orbán campaign.

CPAC has served as the primary bridge for this global conservative alliance[19], frequently hosting Orbán as a “star of the stage” to champion anti-immigration and pro-government agendas.

Viktor Orbán was considered Vladimir Putin’s closest ally within the European Union (EU), especially after obstructing EU sanctions against Russia and opposing aid to Ukraine. Despite his origins in 19890 as an anti-Soviet activist, Orbán began hosting Putin, and has been the primary “voice” for Russia within the EU, where he would frequently break with the European consensus to support Russian interests.

Despite their closeness[20], following Orbán’s 2026 election loss[21], it was reported in April that Hungary could not afford a full break from Russia, even as Orbán’s position as “Putin’s man in Europe” was ending.

As for the United States, while[22] foreign nationals and entities are legally barred from direct contributions to US political campaigns, they utilize complex “backdoor” channels like shell companies, dark money nonprofits, and US-based subsidiaries to fund influential conservative PACs.

Authoritarian leaders and ideologies have assumed a potent role with the American CPAC in recent years, functioning as close allies, ideological inspirations, and key speakers for the American far-right. CPAC has increased its support in platform political figures espousing[23] “illiberal” models of governance, such as that of Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/hungarys-ousted-leader-a-putin-ally-accused-of-funding-conservative-political-action-committee-in-u-s/

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