Businessmen linked to transit sector helped fund Šlesers party's repayment to anti-corruption bureau

Latvian investigative program "Nekā personīga" reported on Sunday evening that the party "Latvia First" (LPV) quickly gathered the funds needed to cover a 340,000-euro repayment ordered by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB). The sum had originally been spent on Ainārs Šlesers's spring election advertising campaign.

Who donated

Following KNAB's decision, the party's donations reportedly rose sharply. Among the donors named by the program are several individuals linked to "Rietumu Bank" as well as representatives of the transit industry — including former Riga Free Port Authority head Leonīds Loginovs and businessman Mihails Gaņevs.

Party's response

LPV leader Ainārs Šlesers told the program that he personally met with potential supporters and asked them to donate to the party to cover the obligations that had arisen. Party representatives Edmunds Zivtiņš and Kristaps Krištopans, meanwhile, stressed that LPV has a broad circle of business supporters who back the party's political positions, including on transit-sector issues.

Background

This summer KNAB ruled that the costs of Šlesers's spring advertising campaign, initially financed by the association "Latvija pirmā," actually constituted party campaigning and therefore had to be covered from party funds rather than the association's money. As a result, LPV was ordered to repay 340,000 euros.

KNAB told the program that it is currently conducting an in-depth review of donations received by LPV and several other political organizations, and is therefore withholding further comment. The bureau also said it has not yet issued any decisions this year on returning 2026 donations to the state budget.