Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka swore a lifetime loyalty oath to a Hungarian pro-Nazi group: report

Gorka, who worked with anti-Semitic activists in Hungary, shared their views

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Topics: Donald Trump, Hungary, nazi, Nazism, sebastian gorka, ,

Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka swore a lifetime loyalty oath to a Hungarian pro-Nazi group: reportSebastian Gorka (Credit: Getty/Alex Wong)

President Donald Trump’s counter-terrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka — who has previously been under fire for his lack of expertise on Islam and working with anti-Semitic activists in Hungary — is now reported to be a member of Vitézi Rend, a Hungarian far right organization that sympathizes with Nazi goals.

Gorka swore a lifetime oath of loyalty to Vitézi Rend, group leaders told The Forward. Founded by Admiral Miklos Horthy — who governed Hungary from 1920 to 1944, imposed a number of anti-Semitic laws during that time, and worked with the Nazis — Vitézi Rend was banned in Hungary until the fall of Communism in 1989. Today there are two groups which claim to be their successors, with Gorka belonging to the “Historical Vitézi Rend” that openly embraces Horthy’s original beliefs.

In addition to casting suspicion on Gorka’s ideological beliefs, his membership in Vitézi Rend if true could also jeopardize his immigration status. The State Department explicitly states that Vitézi Rend members “are presumed to be inadmissible” to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act. If Gorka did not mention on his immigration forms that he is a member of the group, it would be considered “failure to disclose a material fact,” as retired immigration judge Bruce Einhorn told The Forward.

“It’s a material fact that, if disclosed, would have provoked a significant inquiry into the specific post-war role of this organization and Gorka’s activities in it,” Gorka said. He added that there is no statute of limitation for this type of violation.

Matthew Rozsa
Matthew Rozsa is a breaking news writer for Salon. He holds an MA in History from Rutgers University-Newark and his work has appeared in Mic, Quartz and MSNBC.

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