Justice Ministry says ethics commission should investigate possible Matjošaitytė violations

Lithuania’s Justice Ministry says the possible conduct of Laura Matjošaitytė should first be examined by the Chief Official Ethics Commission. Reports said Matjošaitytė, now a member of the Central Electoral Commission, advised the Nemunas Dawn party on membership-fee matters before the 2024 parliamentary election.

Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė would consider further legal action only if the ethics commission establishes violations involving declarations of private interests or the reconciliation of public and private interests. The ministry said it had received no official information about the matter.

Matjošaitytė joined the electoral commission on the proposal of then-Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus. Delfi reported that she may have helped Nemunas Dawn prepare a response for the electoral commission, then became a commission member without publicly disclosing the services or recusing herself from related questions.

Asked whether the party paid her, Matjošaitytė declined to disclose the information, saying it was covered by professional legal confidentiality. Nemunas Dawn deputy chairman Robertas Puchovičius said he did not know whether the party had paid her. The electoral commission said it found no expenses for her legal services in the party’s financial documents.

The issue comes after the commission found that Nemunas Dawn and party leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis had seriously breached the law by accepting money from unlawful sources during the 2024 parliamentary and presidential campaign period. Investigators said the party used donations from legal entities and third parties, including 4,300 euros in membership fees paid through third parties. They also said Puchovičius helped transfer 24,200 euros from the companies Tvari statyba and Lajota to finance the party’s parliamentary campaign.

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First, any possible violations committed by Laura Matjošaitytė should be investigated by the Chief Official Ethics Commission, and only if it establishes relevant violations would the justice minister decide on further legal action.