Independent denies link to pro-Russian propagandist in battle for Bowen’s seat
Pro-Russia influencer Simeon Boikov has launched a social media campaign in support of ex-Liberal Matthew Camenzuli. But the candidate denies any link.
Independent candidate Matthew Camenzuli, who is trying to unseat Energy Minister Chris Bowen, has denied any link to Australia’s most prominent pro-Russian propagandist after “The Aussie Cossack” urged his supporters to back his campaign.
Simeon Boikov, who has been living in Russia’s Sydney consulate for more than two years after avoiding an arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting a 76-year-old man at a pro-Ukraine rally, has posted at least 25 times on social media in support of the IT millionaire and former Liberal Party executive's campaign in the western Sydney electorate of McMahon.
This included a post on Telegram organising a rally in Fairfield over the weekend, which was attended by some of Boikov’s supporters but not by Camenzuli himself.
Boikov has also used Telegram to urge his supporters to recruit volunteers and fill pre-poll rosters for Camenzuli's campaign, describing McMahon as a “key strategic” electorate. He also created a bot encouraging people to share their ballot papers supporting the independent candidate.
