President of Law and Justice (PiS) Jarosław Kaczyński was aware of the activities within the Justice Fund and attempted to prevent politicians from Sovereign Poland from using the Fund’s resources. Kaczyński addressed this issue to the then Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro. The entire letter was published today by “Gazeta Wyborcza.”

“I urge you, Minister, to immediately prohibit candidates from Solidarna Polska from using the Justice Fund during the election campaign and simultaneously prohibit the person responsible for managing the Fund’s resources from disbursing any sums during the campaign or making commitments regarding future disbursements.

I must point out, Minister, that the cases already being discussed within our coalition, if true, could have disastrous consequences both for the campaign’s course and for its accounting before the National Electoral Commission. I must also state that if the recommendations in this letter are not followed, full political responsibility, and most likely other dimensions of responsibility, will rest on you,” wrote PiS leader to Ziobro in August 2016.

Kaczyński Knew but Decided to Do Nothing?

The letter indicates that the leader of the then ruling party must have been aware of how his coalition partners were managing the Fund and the potential consequences of improper use of the funds. However, he limited himself to sending a letter and refrained from taking immediate action against Ziobro and his associates or informing the authorities about potential irregularities.

To recall, the Justice Fund, mentioned by Kaczyński, was intended to aid victims of crime. Instead, a significant portion of the funds went to NGOs and individuals associated with the right-wing and closely connected to Sovereign Poland (formerly Solidarna Polska) and Law and Justice.

The matter is currently under investigation by the prosecution, and a request to lift the immunity of former Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski has been submitted to the Sejm.

Marcin Romanowski’s Role

Marcin Romanowski served as Deputy Minister of Justice from 2019 to 2023. In Zbigniew Ziobro’s ministry, he was responsible for the Justice Fund. The irregularities in the expenditure of the Fund’s resources are now under the scrutiny of the National Prosecutor’s Office. A special team of prosecutors has been conducting a multifaceted investigation since February 2024.

Romanowski is one of the main figures in the scandal. He was responsible for awarding a record grant for victim assistance to the Profeto Foundation, led by Father Michał Olszewski, who is also a suspect in the investigation.