According to public data and reports, between 2016 and 2021, "Atlátszók"'s support for investigative journalists and related costs totaled 382 million forints, while foreign and other support of "Atlátszók" totaled 557 million forints.
The Átlátszónet Alapítvány and atlatszo.hu paid investigative journalists "significant millions" from abroad - László Csizmadia, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Civil Solidarity Forum (CÖF) - Civil Solidarity Foundation (CÖKA), spoke about this at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday.
László Csizmadia said: the financial statements of Átlátszónet Alapítvány and Atlatszo.hu Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft. "prove significant foreign ties" going back several years. "Átlátszók" - the Átlátszónet Foundation and atlatszo.hu - are supported, among others, by the Budapest Open Society Institute Foundation, Transparenty International Hungary and the Open Society Institute. According to public data and reports, between 2016 and 2021, "Atlátszók"'s support for investigative journalists and related costs totaled 382 million forints, while foreign and other support of "Atlátszók" totaled 557 million forints.
The chairman of the CÖF-CÖKA board of trustees also drew attention to:
the "Transparents" give the false impression that their independent operation is ensured by community financing, however, the level of foreign subsidies significantly exceeds domestic ones. The appearance of independence is also refuted by the fact that "Transparents" receive HUF 90 million in support through the Benevity Platform. This system ensures anonymity, so illegal money can move there and there is a risk of tax evasion.
"The company did not respond to our official data request.
"+Átlátszók"+ sidestepped our question as to whether their contract with Benevity exists," said László Csizmadia. He added: money transfers between the "Transparents" took place almost every year, which they could learn from the operation of the Soros Foundations. For example, JDN – Journalism Development Network, which supports Átlátszó, received 800,000 dollars every year.
László Csizmadia said: the Átlátszónet Foundation presents its public benefit activities in the way that it cooperates with Hungarian, international and "other" organizations engaged in anti-corruption activities, and provides them with data, but these "other" organizations are not detailed. In 2021 alone, Átlátszók had 2,727 public interest data requests, with 5,372 data owners, and 885 investigative articles were published. In the year before the 2019 local government and 2022 parliamentary elections, foreign support for "transparents" increased significantly, which "can't be a coincidence".
"open questions" must also be examined "from a national security point of view"
- added the president of the CÖF-CÖKA board of trustees.
At the same time, László Csizmadia stated:
CÖF-CÖKA did not use state funds in the 2022 election campaign. We can "prove it on a dime"
- He told.
László Csimadia also reported that the book Széffogtunk was published, which presents the activities of the CÖF since its establishment in 2009.
Zoltán Lomnici Jr., CÖF-CÖKA spokesperson, said at the press conference:
A national civil news portal, civilek.info.hu, will soon be launched, which aims to be a "citizen's news station". Its goal is to make information that is not available elsewhere available as widely as possible.
This will include a series of articles on the financing of Átráltszó. The work of the portal will be assisted by a "guard" that is "already proven", opinion articles will also be prepared.
The "agent organizations resettled here from abroad work to weaken the Hungarian state and make the national government impossible", CÖF-CÖKA opposes this and wants to be a counterweight to the "fake news flood", said junior Zoltán Lomnici.
László Csizmadia's full information can be read by clicking on the link below:
MTI
Photo: civilek.info
