Ex-PSD leader Liviu Dragnea investigated for influence peddling in another file
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Liviu Dragnea, the former PSD chairman, who is currently serving a 3-and-a-half prison sentence for abuse of office, is criminally prosecuted by the anti-corrupton prosecutors in a new file, where he is charged with influence peddling and using his influence or authority to obtain undue benefits.
The investigated deeds are related to Dragnea’s presence in Washington to attend Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in early 2017. Back then, Liviu Dragnea was chairman of the Social Democratic Party and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
It is the fourth criminal file opened by DNA against Dragnea. He was brought from the penitentiary to the DNA’s HQs on Thursday to be heard in this case.
Dragnea had a photo taken with him shaking hands with Donald Trump at the dinner before the inauguration ceremony. The former PSD leader is accused that a businessman paid USD 250,000 to have Dragnea’s visit to the U.S. arranged in exchange for the promise that his businesses will get the Government’s support.
Prosecutors also say that Dragnea would have pulled the strings to appoint a person close to him, Gheorghe Dumitrescu, as consul in Bonn.
In January 2017, Liviu Dragnea as Chamber Speaker and the PM back then Sorin Grindeanu attended the pre-inauguration dinner at Washington D.C.’s Union Station, an event joined by Donald Trump and his wife. Later on, Dragnea posted photos of him and PM Grindeanu talking to Trump. According to media reports, anyone can join the swearing-in ceremony for an attendance fee ranging between USD 25,000 and USD 1 M.
The names of former PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea and of ex-premier Sorin Grindeanu were also mentioned in 2019 in an investigation in the U.S. targeting the vice-chair of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, Elliot Broidy, a famous Republican fundraiser, who is currently under a federal grand jury’s scrutiny in New York under the charge of influence peddling.
Broidy is accused he would have used his influence to boost business ties with foreign leaders, according to foreign media.
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