Journalists investigating trail of Russian money behind Romanian presidential candidate receive threats
<p>Journalists at Snoop.ro were recently threatened for exposing a network of ads and news created with Russian funds to back Romanian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu.</p>
<p>Georgescu, who came seemingly out of nowhere and claimed the first place in the initial round of the presidential elections, has always claimed to have conducted his campaign with virtually no money. </p>
<p>Snoop.ro, however, showed how Russian money, paid for seemingly benign ads about natural medicine and saint-related news, ended up influencing voters. As a result, the journalists were threatened by supporters of the candidate, who claim to know everything about the “troublemakers” and say that they will be punished once Georgescu takes power.</p>
<p>Specifically, journalist Victor Ilie was <a href="https://snoop.ro/sefii-unei-organizatii-care-il-sprijina-pe-calin-georgescu-ameninta-avem-tot-despre-voi/">threatened</a> by the leaders of the United Tracia Organization, who support the candidate <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/calin-georgescu-suprise-winner-romania-presidential-elections">Călin Georgescu</a>. </p>
<p>“You are all documented, don’t you understand that we know everything about you? Everything! Everything, including where you go, what you do, and what you eat, everything. We know everything. Where your money comes from and where you go,” Bruno Mihăilescu, one of the heads of the organization, told the journalist. </p>
<p>“I have your number, and I’ll track you through your IP,” the businessman told Ilie.</p>
<p>“Why did the question about the Russian Embassy bother you, given that you’ve been there several times? With Mr. Rotariu, with Ms. Șoșoacă?” the journalist responded.</p>
<p>“At the Russian Embassy? So what? Was I the only one there? I don’t think you know what you’re getting into. Listen to what I’m saying. I suggest you stop now while you still have the chance," Mihăilescu said in reply.</p>
<p>Bruno Mihăilescu, one of the founders of the United Tracia movement and a businessman, is a colleague of Mugurel Calistrat Atudorei on the Global News television show. Frequent guests of their program include Călin Georgescu. Atudorei, in turn, was a parliamentary candidate for far-right party SOS Romania in the Chamber of Deputies. The party is led by another extremist politician believed to have ties with Russia, <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/bec-rejects-diana-sosoaca-presidential-candidacy-2024">Diana Sosoaca</a>. </p>
<p>According to an investigation by PressOne, another member of United Tracia is Florin Colceag, SOS's proposal for the position of Minister of Education in a potential minority government.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://snoop.ro/strategia-cu-bani-rusesti-cum-au-ajuns-reclamele-la-medicina-naturista-si-stirile-cu-sfinti-sa-influenteze-votul-romanilor-la-prezidentiale/">previous investigation</a>, Snoop.ro has shown how between 2016 and 2024, AdNow, a digital advertising company with ties to the Kremlin, paid money to websites of television networks like RTV and Realitatea Plus, conspiracy influencers, and far-right content publications, according to financial documents obtained by the journalists. Many other payments were made via cryptocurrencies or non-transparent fintech applications like PayPal or Wirecard, which AdNow uses, the investigation reveals. </p>
<p>Aside from media investigations, reports provided by the Romanian intelligence services and <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-declassified-reports-calin-georgescu-presidential-elections-2024">recently declassified</a> by the Presidential Administration show how a "candidate for the presidential elections benefited from a massive exposure due to the preferential treatment that the TikTok platform granted him by not marking him as a political candidate."</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/zeferli_info">Ilkin Guliyev</a> | <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>