Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin,left,shows Russian President Vladimir Putin,around his factory which produces school means,outside St. Petersburg,Russia.

Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin,left,shows Russian President Vladimir Putin,around his factory which produces school means,outside St. Petersburg,Russia.Credit:AP

The statement,from the press service of his catering company that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef”,came on the eve of US midterm elections in response to a request for comment.

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.

In September,he also publicly stated that he was behind the Wagner Group mercenary force – something he also had previously denied – and talked openly about its involvement in Russia’s eight-month-old war in Ukraine. The military contractor has also sent its forces to places like Syria and sub-Saharan Africa.

Video has also emerged recently of a man resembling Prigozhin visiting Russian penal colonies to recruit prisoners to fight in Ukraine.

In 2018,Prigozhin and a dozen other Russian nationals and three Russian companies were charged in the US with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord and dividing American public opinion ahead of the 2016 presidential election won by Republican Donald Trump. They were indicted as part of special counsel RobertMueller’s investigation into Russian election interference.

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The US Justice Department in 2020 moved to dismiss charges against two of the indicted firms,Concord Management and Consulting,and Concord Catering,saying they had concluded that a trial against a corporate defendant with no presence in the US and no prospect of meaningful punishment even if convicted would likely expose sensitive law enforcement tools and techniques.

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In July,the State Department offered a reward of up to $US10 million ($15.4 million) for information about Russian interference in US elections,including on Prigozhin and the Internet Research Agency,the troll farm in St Petersburg that his companies were accused of funding. Prigozhin has also been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for election interference.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House was not surprised by the comments.

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“These comments … do not tell us anything new or surprising,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “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.”

Meanwhile,Elon Musk,the world’s richest person,on Monday urged Americans to vote Republican in Tuesday’s midterm elections,throwing his weight behind Democratic President Joe Biden’s opponents just days after taking control of Twitter.

Musk,who is also Tesla CEO,has faced criticism from some groups who believe his absolutist stance on free speech will increase misinformation on Twitter. Some advertisers have pulled spending from the platform,with Musk blaming critics concerned about content moderation.

His tweet to more than 110 million followers represented the first time the head of a major social media platform explicitly endorsed a US political party.

Elon Musk,the new boss of Twitter.

Elon Musk,the new boss of Twitter.Credit:AP

Musk directed his tweet to what he called “independent-minded voters,” writing:“Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties. Therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress,given that the presidency is Democratic.”

“Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side,so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who’s in charge!,” he added.

Since nominating Donald Trump in 2016 as presidential candidate the Republic Party has embraced behaviour increasingly at odds with the rule of law,culminating in the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021 in an attempt to prevent Biden from being sworn in as president after winning the election.

In response to Musk,there was no immediate comment from Biden or his Democratic Party,who together face a steep battle to retain control of both houses of Congress in Tuesday’s vote.

In a statement to Reuters,Jessica Gonzalez,co-CEO of Free Press,an advocacy group for media issues in democracy,said Musk’s comment showed he “is not showing himself to be an even-keeled CEO that advertisers can trust”.

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Nonpartisan election forecasters and opinion polls suggest Republicans have a very strong chance of winning a majority in the House of Representatives,with control of the Senate likely to be more closely fought.

AP,Reuters

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