Hungary’s ousted leader, a Putin ally, accused of funding Conservative Political Action Committee in U.S.

Politics and local government By Alexander J Schorr April 23, 2026— After a victory in April by Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar which ended authoritarian Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule, the outgoing government has been accused of illegally using state funds to finance the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the United States. CPAC is one of the most influential forces on the Republican Party. Photo, left: Viktor Orbán, public domain image via Wikipedia The controversy surrounding Orban and CPAC has evolved from ideological alignment to allegations of serious criminal misconduct following his electoral defeat. CPAC is an annual, multi-day gathering of conservative activists, politicians, and media personalities which is organized by the American Conservative Union. It focuses on promoting conservative policies, generating pro-conservative networking, and holding straw polls to gauge popularity for potential candidates, with the latest CPAC occurring at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.