Former Polish National Foundation Board Members Charged Over 2017 "Fair Courts" Campaign

On July 14, 2026, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained two former Polish National Foundation board members in Warsaw and the Warmian-Masurian region on orders from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów.

Cezary J., former president of the foundation, and Maciej Ś., former board member, were charged with abuse of authority and failure to fulfill duties related to the foundation's management. The charges stem from the 2017 "Fair Courts" media campaign, which prosecutors say caused property damage of at least 8,428,542.74 PLN (approximately 1.9 million euros).

The Polish National Foundation was established in 2016 by seventeen State Treasury companies to promote Poland internationally, protect the country's reputation, and support the Polish economy. Instead, the "Fair Courts" campaign spent funds on domestic advertisements featuring billboards and websites that presented arguments for judicial system changes. Some materials described judges as a "privileged caste" or "extraordinary caste."

A Warsaw court ruled in 2018 that the campaign violated the foundation's statutory goals by damaging Poland's international image rather than enhancing it. The investigation began in June 2024 at the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw before being transferred to Rzeszów, following complaints filed by the current foundation board in February 2025.

After questioning, Cezary J. was released under non-custodial preventive measures, including a ban on leaving the country and seizure of his passport. The questioning of Maciej Ś. remained ongoing. The charged offenses carry a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment.

Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński described the charges as "political revenge by the current government," claiming such actions "have nothing to do with the rule of law and are intended to intimidate and defame."

The foundation has faced additional scrutiny over other activities, including the 2018 purchase of an "I Love Poland" yacht for approximately 900,000 euros and a "100×100" centenary project that brought international celebrities to Poland.

Original Sources/Tags: notesfrompoland.com, notesfrompoland.com, polskieradio.pl, zero.pl, notesfrompoland.com, wydarzenia.interia.pl, supernowosci24.pl, rp.pl, (poland), (warsaw), (detained), (charged), (investigation)

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The text uses passive voice to hide who took action. The phrase "have been detained and charged" does not say who did the detaining or charging. This makes the authorities less visible and reduces accountability. Readers cannot see which officials or agencies made these decisions. The hidden actors make the process seem more mysterious or secretive than it might actually be.

The text uses strong words to push feelings about the judges. The phrase "attacked judges" uses fighting words instead of neutral terms like "criticized" or "questioned." This makes the campaign sound violent and aggressive. Strong words make readers feel the campaign was wrong without needing more proof. The wording pushes readers to dislike the campaign from the start.

The text uses loaded language to make judges look bad. The phrase "portrayed judges as a privileged caste" uses class-warfare language that sounds negative. This makes judges seem rich and out of touch rather than fair. The loaded words push readers to side against the judges. The wording hides whether this portrayal was accurate or fair.

The text presents one side of a big political fight. The phrase "described the charges as political revenge by the current government, claiming such actions have nothing to do with the rule of law" gives Kaczyński's view without showing other perspectives. This makes his claim seem like a reasonable counterpoint. The text does not show if there are facts supporting or against his claim. Readers only see one side of whether this is real revenge or real justice.

The text accepts big damage claims without showing proof. The phrase "criminal negligence causing over 30 million zloty in financial damages" states huge losses as fact. This accepts the current board's numbers without showing evidence. The text does not explain how these damages were calculated or proven. Readers believe the big money loss without seeing the proof.

The text uses selective timing to shape the story. The text jumps from 2018 court ruling to 2025 complaints without explaining what happened in between. This makes the current investigation seem like a sudden response rather than part of ongoing issues. The missing years could hide other important facts or actions. Readers cannot see the full timeline of events.

The text uses framing to make reforms sound bad. The phrase "controversial judicial reforms being implemented by the Law and Justice government at the time" labels the reforms as questionable without explaining why. This pushes readers to think the reforms were wrong from the start. The text does not show arguments for or against the reforms. Readers only see them labeled as controversial.

The text expresses clear moral outrage and anger through its description of the "Fair Courts" advertising campaign as one that "attacked judges" and "misused public funds." These strong action words carry significant emotional weight because they frame the campaign not as legitimate criticism but as aggressive and improper behavior. The anger appears moderate in strength, conveyed through straightforward reporting rather than inflammatory language, but it serves to establish the campaign as clearly wrong from the outset. This emotion works to make readers feel that the officials deserved punishment and that the misuse of public money was a serious betrayal of trust.

Strong concern and worry emerge through the description of how the foundation "spent 8.4 million zloty on domestic advertisements attacking the Polish judiciary" instead of its intended purpose of promoting Poland internationally. The text emphasizes that this spending represented a deliberate deviation from the foundation's statutory goals, creating anxiety about how public resources were handled. When the Warsaw court ruled in 2018 that the campaign "violated the foundation's statutory goals by damaging Poland's international image," this concern intensifies because it suggests real harm was done to the country's reputation. The worry serves to justify why the officials faced charges years later and makes readers feel that the misuse was not just inappropriate but damaging to important national interests.

Defensive pride and justification appear in the response from Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński, who describes the charges as "political revenge by the current government." This language carries emotional weight because it reframes the legal action as unfair persecution rather than legitimate prosecution. The defensive emotion is strong and serves to protect the reputation of the Law and Justice party while casting doubt on the motives behind the charges. By claiming the actions "have nothing to do with the rule of law," Kaczyński positions his party as defenders of proper legal principles against political opponents who are abusing the system.

The text conveys a sense of vindication and justice through the formal charges and detention of the former officials. When it states that Maciej Ś. and Cezary J. "have now been formally charged, with Maciej Ś. additionally banned from leaving the country," this creates an emotional payoff for the lengthy investigation process. The vindication is moderate in strength because the charges are presented as factual developments rather than triumphant celebrations, but it serves to show that wrongdoing eventually receives consequences. This emotion helps readers feel that the system is working to hold people accountable even years after the initial misconduct.

These emotions work together to guide readers toward viewing the case as a matter of principle rather than simple politics. The moral outrage and concern about misused funds make readers sympathetic to the idea that wrongdoing occurred and deserved punishment. At the same time, Kaczyński's defensive response introduces doubt about whether the charges represent genuine justice or political retaliation. This combination encourages readers to see both sides of the dispute while ultimately supporting the notion that public officials should face consequences for serious misconduct. The emotional framing makes the story feel like a struggle between accountability and political revenge, which keeps readers engaged and thinking critically about the situation.

The writer uses emotional persuasion through loaded word choices that make the campaign sound more extreme than neutral alternatives would suggest. Instead of saying the campaign "criticized judges" or "questioned judicial decisions," the text uses "attacked judges," which carries much stronger negative connotations. The phrase "privileged caste" employs class-warfare language that sounds judgmental and divisive rather than simply descriptive. When describing the financial impact, the text emphasizes "over 30 million zloty in financial damages" rather than a more modest figure, making the alleged harm seem more severe and justifying the serious charges. These word choices increase emotional impact by making the campaign seem more aggressive and harmful than it might otherwise appear.

The text also builds emotional tension through its structure, which presents the 2018 court ruling as a key moment that established wrongdoing, then jumps to the 2025 complaints and 2026 detentions as delayed consequences. This timeline creates suspense and makes readers feel that justice took too long to arrive, which intensifies the emotional stakes. By including Kaczyński's response as the final section, the text ends on a defensive note that leaves readers questioning whether the charges represent true justice or political gamesmanship. This structural choice ensures that readers finish with mixed emotions rather than simple satisfaction, making them more likely to continue thinking about the case and its implications.