at cluj, he founded acțiunea românească ("romanian action"), a nationalist group inspired by charles maurras' action française. this organization fused with a. c. cuza's national-christian defense league in 1925. moța met corneliu zelea codreanu at a meeting of antisemitic students in august 1923. the two formed a plan to assassinate romanian politicians and leaders of romanian jewry seen as traitors and corruptors of romanian national life. they were arrested in bucharest on 8 october 1923 and sent to văcărești prison. acquitted in march 1924, moța shot vernichescu, the member of their conspiracy who betrayed it to the authorities, seven times (but not fatally). he spent two months in galata prison before being acquitted and released on 29 september 1924.