A Lithuanian communications specialist said he suspects supporters of the political party Nemunas Dawn may have been involved in opaque fundraising practices ahead of parliamentary elections, prompting renewed scrutiny of the party’s finances.
Karolis Žukauskas, who introduced himself to party supporters as a finance staff member of Nemunas Dawn, said he contacted 10 or 11 donors to test his assumption that some officially declared contributions may not have come from the donors’ own funds.
“I tried to check a hypothesis I had – that perhaps members who officially donate to the party might be donating not their own money, but someone else’s,” Žukauskas said. “At least for me personally, the assumption was confirmed.”
Žukauskas called the party’s past donors and offered to give them cash in exchange for them transferring the equivalent amount from their personal bank accounts to the party.
This would be a way of bypassing Lithuania’s rather strict political party funding rules that put a limit on who can donate and how much.
According to Žukauskas, some of the people he contacted did not find the proposal unusual, and one person allegedly agreed on a location to receive the cash.
He described the calls as a “provocation”, arguing that someone unfamiliar with such a scheme would likely have reacted with surprise or confusion.
Law enforcement authorities recently terminated a pretrial investigation into Nemunas Dawn’s financing. Prosecutors said criminal liability would apply only if at least 25,000 euros had been illegally donated to the party, and that the total amount of questionable transactions did not reach that threshold.
The Chief Electoral Commission (VRK) is conducting its own inquiry into the party’s financing, including possible donations made through third parties. The commission has received permission from prosecutors to review materials from the discontinued pretrial investigation.
The party’s vice chairman, Robertas Puchovičius, denied any wrongdoing and said both the commission and prosecutors had found no violations.
“The party’s financing was checked by the VRK and by the prosecutor’s office. No violations were found,” Puchovičius said. “We see no point in commenting on what has already been investigated.”
According to Puchovičius, some individuals who received calls from Žukauskas reported the matter to police.
Žukauskas said he plans to submit the information he gathered to prosecutors and the electoral commission.
Investigative journalism outlet Redakcija previously reported on Nemunas Dawn’s financing. Journalist Birutė Davidonytė said sources indicated that some party members deposited identical amounts of cash into their accounts on the same or preceding day before donating to the party.
“That raises questions about where the money came from and whose funds were used to finance Nemunas Dawn before the parliamentary elections,” Davidonytė said, adding that various scenarios were possible, including funding linked to criminal networks or foreign countries.
Efforts to reach party chairman Remigijus Žemaitaitis for comment were unsuccessful.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the future of Nemunas Dawn in the governing coalition would be reconsidered if serious evidence of wrongdoing emerges.
“If there is serious data, I strongly advise turning to law enforcement institutions,” Ruginienė said. “If that happens and there are solid grounds, then we will consider this issue.”
Nemunas Dawn won 15 percent of the vote in Lithuania’s most recent general elections held in October 2024. It has 18 seats and the third-biggest parliamentary group in the 141-member Seimas.
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