TikTok influencers flee Romania amid tax probe into their election role
“This investigation will also assess any causal links between those payments and a particular candidate in the Romanian presidential election,” said Toni Greblă, the head of the electoral office, about the tax probes.
One key figure under investigation is Bogdan Peșchir, who allegedly funded the influencers on TikTok with €1 million. Last week, authorities raided three locations linked to Peșchir, seizing $7 million in cryptocurrency as part of the investigation.
As more details about Georgescu’s background surfaced following the first round of the election, several of these influencers began distancing themselves from his campaign. After the intelligence documents were made public, some admitted to promoting Georgescu in exchange for payment but claimed they did not know who the candidate was until after the first round.
Georgescu, who openly embraced pro-Russian stances during his campaign, officially declared zero campaign expenses. However, intelligence documents revealed that TikTok influencers played a central role in a covert, multi-million-euro effort to amplify his messaging. Authorities believe the campaign is connected to Russian “hybrid attacks” that targeted Romania’s electoral process during the election.
Last week, the European Commission ordered TikTok to preserve data linked to potential risks during the Romanian elections and upcoming EU elections, amid concerns of foreign interference and disinformation.
Analysts say the disinformation campaign in Romania resembles what happened in Moldova during presidential election and a referendum on EU accession, when a Russia-linked operation used a similar strategy to try to sway voters toward a pro-Moscow candidate.
The financial investigations are unfolding alongside other criminal investigations by prosecutors connected to the election.
