Romanian prosecutors indict alleged financier of Călin Georgescu’s TikTok campaign for voter bribery

Bogdan Peșchir, described by prosecutors as a financier of Călin Georgescu’s TikTok campaign, has been indicted on charges of voter bribery. He will remain free pending trial, and the case has been sent to the Brașov Court, local news agency Agerpres reported.

The General Prosecutor’s Office accused Peșchir of 874 individual acts committed as part of a continued offence between October 13 and November 27, 2024.

According to the indictment, Bogdan Peșchir allegedly provided benefits worth a total of USD 290,225 to persuade voters to support Russia-friendly independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the 2024 presidential election. The prosecutors said the sum included 868 virtual gifts worth USD 251,065 sent to 105 TikTok users and six cryptocurrency transfers totalling USD 39,160 to two people.

The alleged influence operation involved recruiting popular content creators, systematically paying them to promote Georgescu and rewarding both declared supporters and potential voters during TikTok livestreams.

“The defendant decisively influenced the topics being discussed, implicitly but unequivocally directing voters to express their electoral preference for this candidate,” the prosecutors said.

According to the prosecution, Bogdan Peșchir used significant financial resources during livestreaming sessions, distributing them directly and through content creators as virtual gifts and cryptocurrency. Some TikTok users allegedly came to believe they would receive gifts from Peșchir if they voted for Călin Georgescu.

Moreover, the prosecutors also alleged that money was transferred directly to people who agreed to express their support for Georgescu and persuade others within their personal networks to do the same.

“Each influencer received RON 390 for 20,000 users,” the General Prosecutor’s Office said. “Through their actions, expressed as general calls to vote during livestreaming sessions, these influence vectors mechanically helped the defendant achieve his objective of bribing voters.”

Bogdan Peșchir’s name also appeared in intelligence documents presented to Romania’s Supreme Council for National Defence before the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in December 2024