Poland is seeking to prosecute Ziobro, the architect of a judicial overhaul that the European Union said undermined the rule of law when the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party was in power from 2015 to 2023.
Ziobro faces 26 charges linked mainly to the alleged misuse of money from a crime victims' fund for political purposes.
He has denied wrongdoing, saying he is the target of a politically motivated campaign by Poland’s pro-European Union government.
Reuters noted that while the administration of President Donald Trump has made support for conservative movements in Europe a priority, granting a visa to a politician facing criminal charges from a US-allied government is highly unusual.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally, granted Ziobro asylum in January. Polish authorities had hoped that Orban’s defeat by pro-EU rival Peter Magyar in April elections would lead to Ziobro’s extradition. Magyar had said he would extradite Ziobro to Poland on his first day in office.
Instead, Landau instructed senior officials in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to direct the US embassy in Budapest to issue the visa, Reuters reported, citing three sources it did not name.
One source said it was a journalist visa, according to Reuters.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly, Reuters said.
It reported that Landau’s intervention allowed Ziobro to secure the visa before Magyar was sworn in as prime minister on May 9.
The sources said they were unaware of any direct involvement by Trump in the decision, while Reuters said it could not determine what role, if any, Secretary of State Marco Rubio played.
According to Reuters, Landau learned about Ziobro’s case earlier this year from Tom Rose, the US ambassador to Warsaw, and viewed the former Polish Cabinet minister as someone being unfairly prosecuted.
One source cited by Reuters said Landau described the matter as "a national security issue" when directing consular officials to issue the visa.
Reuters said it could not determine why the case was treated as a national security matter.
Landau declined to comment, while a State Department spokesperson did not directly answer Reuters' questions about the involvement of Rubio or Rose.
"Due to visa record confidentiality, we have nothing to share on this matter," the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
Reuters said the White House, the office of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Poland’s justice ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Hungary's new government also declined to comment, Reuters reported.
(gs)
Sources: Reuters