Putin’s associate Prigozhin admits interfering in U.S. elections
Russian oligarch and founder of the private military company Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin responded to the question of the website "Russia News" about Russia’s "attempts to intervene" in the U.S. elections, in particular, in the midterm elections to Congress, which are held on November 8.
"I will answer you very subtly, delicately and, I apologize, I will allow a certain ambiguity," Prigozhin replied ironically and sarcastically on his VKontakte page of his company Concord. " Gentlemen, we have intervened, are interfering and will continue to intervene. Neatly, accurately, surgically, and in our own way, as we know how to do it. During our point surgeries, we will remove both kidneys and liver at once."
On November 3, the news agency Bloomberg reported that groups of social media users associated with the Russian Federation purposefully promote certain memes (political cartoons) in order to influence the outcome of the US congressional elections. These people allegedly promoted racist and inflammatory rhetoric to undermine support for Democratic candidates and, conversely, to help the Republican Party.
Western media have repeatedly claimed that if the Republican Party wins, the United States may reduce or completely stop aid to Ukraine.
Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said earlier that the accusations about Russia's interference in the US elections are an attempt by American Democrats to justify their defeat in the congressional elections.
November 8 is the main voting day in the midterm elections to both houses of Congress, in which 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 out of 100 senators will be elected.
The activities of the Prigozhin-funded Troll Factory have previously been reported by various Russian and Western media sources. The U.S. Department of Treasury put Prigozhin on sanctions list for interference in the U.S. elections.
At the end of July, the US Department of State announced as part of the Rewards for Justice program a reward of up to $ 10 million for information about foreign interference in the 2016 elections in the United States. In particular, a reward is offered for information that will contribute to the identification of persons and structures involved in the interference in the elections, identifying their location, as well as for information that will prevent future attempts to interfere.
In a message published on its website, the US Department of State says that the US authorities are looking for information about the Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Internet Research Agency allegedly owned by him, which is also known as the "troll factory". The businessman and people and companies associated wit him are accused of interfering in the presidential election in 2016.
Prigozhin financed the Internet Research Agency through Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering. The Troll Factory itself operated through several Russian companies, including Internet Research LLC, MediaSintez LLC, GlavSet LLC, MixInfo LLC, Azimut LLC and NovInfo LLC.