Security service confirms top Latvian officials were told earlier about donations to PM candidate Stepaņenko
Latvia's Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) says it had already briefed the country's top officials about large cash gifts from the Russia-based father of prime ministerial candidate Jūlija Stepaņenko. Anti-corruption, security and financial intelligence agencies are now reviewing the case following a request from the justice minister.
Latvia's Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) has stated that it previously informed the country's top state officials about the situation surrounding cash gifts received by Jūlija Stepaņenko, prime ministerial candidate for the "Sovereign Power/Latvian Union" party alliance, from her father, who lives in Russia. The bureau declined to specify when this happened or which of Latvia's three top officials — the President, the Speaker of the Saeima, or the Prime Minister — were informed.
The disclosure follows a request from Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns (New Unity), who asked the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), the State Security Service (VDD), SAB, and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FID) to each assess, within their competence, publicly available information about Stepaņenko's declared gifts and the origin of the funds. SAB said it would respond to Smiltēns' request according to its mandate. VDD confirmed receiving the request and said it would evaluate the information, while FID said the law prevents it from commenting on information in its possession.
Scale of the gifts
According to Stepaņenko's official asset declarations, she received a total of €419,598.05 in gifts from her father, who resides in Russia. This includes a €239,598.05 cash gift declared in a filing covering the period ending October 2022, and an apartment in Riga worth €180,000, received in January 2024.
In an interview for a LETA news agency podcast, Stepaņenko declined to explain the origin of the funds, citing her family's right to privacy and to receive gifts from relatives. She confirmed her father, who left the family during her childhood, lives in Russia and provides financial support, but did not disclose his occupation or the source of his wealth.
Stepaņenko also did not comment on her broader financial situation, including loans she declared in 2014 totaling over €575,000 and debt obligations of nearly €350,000. In her 2025 declaration, she reported €66,000 in cash savings, while her husband declared €57,000.
