Ethics commission to decide on probe into Matjošaitytė’s party advice

Lithuania’s Chief Official Ethics Commission will decide on Wednesday whether to open an investigation into Electoral Commission member Laura Matjošaitytė’s consultations for the Nemunas Dawn party and a possible breach of the Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests, LRT reported.

Two weeks ago, the commission decided to gather additional information about the case. It began considering the matter in late August after receiving a report alleging that Matjošaitytė may have breached the law.

Last week, the Central Electoral Commission and the Lithuanian Bar Association also opened investigations into Matjošaitytė.

In August, news portal Delfi reported that before returning to the Central Electoral Commission, Matjošaitytė had advised Nemunas Dawn on membership fees and helped prepare the party’s response to the commission.

Matjošaitytė, who became a Central Electoral Commission member in May 2025, did not publicly declare the consultations. She initially refused to say whether she had been paid by the party, but later said she had received no money.

Matjošaitytė has said she did not face a conflict of interest when the commission considered issues related to Nemunas Dawn. The party’s deputy chairman, Robertas Puchovičius, has confirmed that it communicated with her, while party leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis called the reported links between the party and Matjošaitytė absurd.

BNS reported that Matjošaitytė chaired the Central Electoral Commission from 2017 to 2021. She returned as a commission member in May 2025 after her candidacy and that of lawyer Maksimas Reznikovas were put forward by Rimantas Mockus, who was then justice minister delegated by Nemunas Dawn.

In May 2025, the newly formed commission considered violations related to Nemunas Dawn’s political campaign financing. Matjošaitytė voted in favour of finding violations in some cases and abstained in others. She said the votes did not create a conflict of interest or grounds for her to recuse herself because she had stopped advising political organisations after returning to the commission.