Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner PMC, the Kremlin-connected mercenary group admitted this week that he had interfered in the United States elections and would continue to do so.
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His admission confirms for the first time the accusations that he has rejected for years.
Popularly referred to as Putin’s chef, Prigozhin in a social media post boasted, “Gentlemen, we have interfered, are interfering and will interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do.”
The statement came on the eve of the highly-anticipated U.S. midterm elections.
It was the second major admission in recent months by the 61-year-old businessman, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin has previously sought to keep his activities under the radar and now appears increasingly interested in gaining political clout — although his goal in doing so was not immediately clear.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Prigozhin’s comments “do not tell us anything new or surprising.”
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“It’s well known and well documented in the public domain that entities associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin have sought to influence elections around the world, including the United States. The U.S. has worked to expose and counter Russia’s malign influence efforts as we discover them,” she said, noting that Yevgeny has been sanctioned by the United States, the U.K. and the European Union.