In the wake of a controversy surrounding the extinguishing of a Hanukkah menorah and an assault on a ceremony participant, associates of Grzegorz Braun moved quickly to organize a series of fundraising appeals for the southern Polish politician. The rapid response by his supporters prompted scrutiny from fundraising platforms and the public alike as questions about legality and intent surfaced.
The fundraising portal zrzutka.pl issued a public statement after repeated campaigns appeared under the banner “for MP Grzegorz Braun.” The portal explained that its legal team conducted a thorough review of these collections in light of the platform’s rules. The statement emphasized that organized fundraisers must not praise, support, or promote hatred, violence, discrimination, terrorism, fascism, or other totalitarian systems, nor should they publicly glorify crimes or violate the reputational or privacy rights of others. The platform noted that the context surrounding the numerous campaigns raised concerns that they could breach these rules and potentially violate Polish law.
As a result of the assessment, the management of zrzutka.pl decided to close the previous collections tied to the politician from the Confederation and pledged to return the donated funds to contributors. They also indicated that any new campaigns of this kind would be deleted to prevent further issues.
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Mysterious foundation
Within minutes, tens of thousands of zlotys appeared in the campaigns, with many contributions coming from unknown sources. Despite attempts to curb the Fundraising through the zrzutka.pl platform, the fundraising drive continued to gain momentum outside the normal controls, illustrating how quickly online donations can accumulate even when sponsors try to distance themselves from the campaign’s origins.
The Osuchowa Foundation, active since 2015 and linked to Grzegorz Braun, has a history of raising funds connected to the MP’s political activity. A journalist associated with this case, who faced legal action from Braun over coverage of his public statements, was approached to contribute to the foundation. A person identified as Anna Kubala, who presents herself as a legal adviser, has promoted the campaign on social media and publicly expressed support for Braun. The foundation’s founder is said to be Grzegorz Braun himself, with Włodzimierz Skalik listed as president, a businessman who also serves as a member of the Confederation party. Braun’s wife, Aleksandra, is described as a member of the foundation’s leadership as well.
The saying about family money staying in the family feels apt in this context, underscoring the perceived intertwining of personal, familial, and political interests in fundraising activities tied to the politician.
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Citation: wPolityce