Romanian authorities are investigating UK-American influencer Tristan Tate over allegations he violated election laws by posting political content on social media during last month’s presidential elections.
Police told the BBC the probe focuses on a post that Tate is alleged to have shared on X on election day and had a direct political message about one of the candidates, which is illegal in Romania.
Tate, 36, is the younger brother of controversial influencer Andrew Tate, 38, who describes himself as a misogynist. The brothers who live in Romania have 13 million followers on social media. Romanian authorities are investigating them separately for rape and human trafficking charges, which they deny.
Ilfov county police launched the probe based on an official complaint which said Tate junior, who has been summoned for questioning Tuesday, may have tried to influence the election on the day of voting. The Tate brothers supported far-right candidate George Simion who was roundly beaten by moderate, Nicusor Dan who won the May 18 presidential runoff.
The BBC reported that they had contacted Tate’s representatives about the probe. He has not issued any public statement on the development.
In a video post that appeared on X on May 18, Tate junior says he is “not campaigning” and that as “an American man, using an American platform, in Dubai, to talk about political issues” he is “not subject to Romania’s ‘no campaigning’ law”.
In recent years, the Tate brothers have built a huge online presence on social media, attracting criticism over offensive statements about women.
The pair were arrested in Romania in December 2022. Andrew Tate was accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan is suspected of human trafficking.
They both denied the charges and spent several months under house arrest. A year and a half later, in August 2024, they faced new allegations in Romania including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons, all of which they deny.
They are also facing 21 charges in the UK, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.
A Romanian court has ruled that they can be extradited to the UK after legal proceedings against them in Romania have been concluded.
