Imprisoned misogynist influencer Andrew Tate reached out to right-wing Romanian politicians for support, according to prosecutors.
Tate, 36, is jailed in the Eastern European nation on charges of rape and human trafficking. He has denied the accusations.
Prosecutors said Tate phoned his associates from jail and told them to contact two politicians to promise Tate’s support if they backed his release, Reuters reported Tuesday. The calls were mentioned in court documents filed on Feb. 21.
“So make it clear to them: You will get a lot of votes when Tate says you took their side,” the former kickboxer said in a Jan. 28 call, according to prosecutors. Tate also allegedly said the move would be “very good for their careers.”
Both politicians, George Simion and Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca, claimed they never heard from Tate’s team, according to Reuters.
Simion, a member of Romania’s lower house, leads the Romanian nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians party. Iovanovici-Sosoaca, known for her anti-vaccine and anti-immigrant views, used to be an AUR member. She has since joined a different nationalist party, S.O.S. Romania.
Tate made his name on the internet by portraying a luxurious, hyper-masculine lifestyle. He was banned from many social media platforms in 2017 after he said women “bear responsibility” when they are raped.
He was arrested alongside his brother, Tristan, in late December at their villa outside the Romanian capital of Bucharest. Romanian police said the Tates were running a human trafficking operation in which they faked relationships with women, then held them against their will. At least six victims have been identified, according to investigators.