# Russian funding claims spice up Italian election Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-09-14 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Russian Meddling in Italian Election: Right-Wing Denials Meta Description: US claims that Russia has given millions to political parties in Italy, sparking denials from right-wing leaders. Voters want transparency before Sept. 25 URL: https://financedigest.com/russian-funding-claims-spice-up-italian-electionhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-09-14t093653z1lynxmpei8d0ebrtroptp4italy-election-1736815213717-compressed.jpg) By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) – U.S. claims that Russia has given at [least $300 million to political parties in more than two dozen countries sent a jolt](https://www.financedigest.com/strong-nighttime-earthquake-jolts-sleeping-mexicans-at-least-one-death-reported.html "Strong nighttime earthquake jolts sleeping Mexicans, at least one death reported") through Italy’s election campaign on Wednesday, with right-wing leaders denying they had received clandestine cash. The U.S. State Department on Tuesday released a summary of a recent U.S. [intelligence review of Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-threat-to-baltic-security-rising-estonian-intelligence-report.html "Russian threat to Baltic security rising – Estonian intelligence report") efforts to influence foreign politics, including support for unnamed far-right nationalist parties. Although it did not detail the countries concerned, the [report revived long-standing and repeatedly denied suspicions that some Italian parties have received funding](https://www.financedigest.com/bank-funding-for-renewables-stagnates-vs-oil-and-gas-report.html "Bank funding for renewables stagnates vs oil and gas – report") from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Italy holds [national elections](https://www.financedigest.com/quebecs-elected-officials-must-swear-oath-to-king-charles-to-sit-in-national-assembly.html "Quebec’s elected officials must swear oath to King Charles to sit in National Assembly") on Sept. 25, with a rightist alliance of parties, including the Brothers of Italy, League and Forza Italia, expected to win a comfortable victory. Before the 25th of September, Italian voters have the right to [know if any of the parties on the ballot papers have been financed](https://www.financedigest.com/the-four-pillars-of-data-integrity-what-finance-businesses-need-to-know.html "The four pillars of data integrity: what finance businesses need to know") by Putin,” Enrico Letta, head of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), wrote on Twitter. [Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made him a pariah to many in the West](https://www.financedigest.com/putin-says-peace-talks-with-ukraine-are-at-dead-end-goads-the-west.html "Putin says peace talks with Ukraine are at dead end, goads the West"). ‘I NEVER TOOK MONEY’ League leader Matteo Salvini, who once praised Putin as “the best statesmen currently on earth”, has repeatedly denied receiving [money from Russia after a recording was leaked](https://www.financedigest.com/marketmind-banks-are-leaking-money.html "Marketmind: Banks are leaking money") in 2019 of one of his aides discussing a secret oil deal in Moscow. I never asked for and never took money, roubles, euros, dinars or [dollars from Russia,”](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-surges-as-russia-invades-ukraine.html "Dollar surges as Russia invades Ukraine") Salvini told RTL 102.5 radio on Wednesday. “There have been ongoing investigations for years. Nothing has ever been found because there is nothing.” Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni, who is in poll position to become the next [prime minister](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-who-will-replace-uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson.html "Factbox-Who will replace UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson?"), also denied receiving cash from abroad and threatened to sue an Italian newspaper that had questioned if she had taken Russian money. “They should bring us the evidence. But since the evidence is not there, I fear that a lawsuit will be inevitable,” she told Radio 24 on Wednesday. A senior Brothers of [Italy politician Adolfo Urso who heads](https://www.financedigest.com/italy-names-former-treasury-official-to-head-ita-airways.html "Italy names former Treasury official to head ITA Airways") the parliamentary committee that oversees national intelligence agencies, told state broadcaster RAI that “at the moment” there was no indication that Italy was one of the countries involved. Suggestions that Russia might be meddling in the [election campaign have repeatedly been aired since the collapse of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s unity government](https://www.financedigest.com/estonias-pro-kyiv-government-faces-election-test-amid-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Estonia’s pro-Kyiv government faces election test amid cost of living crisis") in July. A trio of parties, including the League and Forza Italia, all with historically friendly ties to Moscow, brought down Draghi’s government, but dismissed accusations from opponents that they had connived with Russia to hold the [snap election](https://www.financedigest.com/canada-pm-trudeau-planning-snap-election-seeks-approval-for-covid-response-sources-2.html "Canada PM Trudeau planning snap election, seeks approval for COVID response – sources"). Draghi himself told parliament in July that Italy had to [“step up efforts to combat](https://www.financedigest.com/3-steps-to-combat-cloud-outages.html "3 Steps to Combat Cloud Outages") interference from Russia and other autocracies in our politics. He gave no further details. (Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---