Hanko is being investigated for the disbursement of 46 million euros in cultural funds to public figures.
Posted by Behind the Bastards, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 75%
Behind the BastardsOct 3, 2026
Hanko, the former Orbán-era culture minister, is under criminal investigation over misuse of National Cultural Fund grants, with figures reported at about €46 million (€46.2m in one source, €47.6m+ in another, and roughly 40+ million euros in a third).
The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Parliament had previously voted to lift their immunity. Per a Euro news article by Sandor Ziros, Zsoltak, who served as development minister from 2014 to 2018, is suspected of taking around 30 million euros in bribes linked to bus tenders. Hanko is being investigated over the disbursement of 46 million euros in cultural funds to public figures, which the authorities largely regard as campaign financing. Now, both men deny any wrongdoing, and it's i don't know how this is going to shake out, but I suspect it looks like the government is going after them pretty hard, and I think this story is important to watch, both because obviously Hungarian democracy …
Behind the Bastards · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters reports Hanko was detained over misappropriation at the National Cultural Fund (NKA) after parliament lifted his immunity, and that he denies wrongdoing.[1]
Supports. Telex reports prosecutors allege Hankó misused NKA funds, causing a loss of 17.3 billion forints (more than €47.6 million), across 1,079 allocations.[2]
Supports. The Euronews-syndicated report states Hankó is being investigated over the disbursement of €46 million in cultural funds to public figures, which the authorities largely regard as campaign financing.[3]
Supports. Intellinews puts the misused sum at HUF 17bn (€46.2mn) and says the grants were tied to the NKA, consistent with the claimed 46 million euros.[4]
Context. Reuters and Telex describe the grants as going to artists and organisations with Fidesz ties through a non-transparent allocation process, so 'public figures' is a loose paraphrase rather than a precise description of recipients.[1][2]
Context. Firstpost reports the funds were partly used to support the 2026 election campaign, matching the campaign-financing characterization.[5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 4 not rated
- 1Former Hungarian culture minister detained after ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Telex: Orbán-era cultural minister detained over corruption ...telex.hu · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 3With two Orbán-era ministers detained, Magyar's ...aol.co.uk · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Hungarian courts order 30-day detention of two former ...new.intellinews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Hungary parliament clears probe into PM Magyar, two former Orban-era ministersfirstpost.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Zsolt Takacs is suspected of taking 30 million euros in bribes linked to bus tenders.Can’t tell
- Hungarian prosecutors detained two of Viktor Orban's former ministers on corruption allegations in October 2026.True
- The Department of Justice is investigating Ilhan Omar.True
- The FBI has an ongoing investigation into illegal straw donations and foreign money entering American elections.True