A member of the Pussy Riot, a Russian punk rock band opposed to President Vladimir Putin’s policies, said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was connected to the Russian government.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova told the Daily Beast in a story published Thursday evening that she met with Assange two years ago.
“Julian Assange, he openly works with [Russia]. It’s not a secret. He’s connected with the Russian government, and I feel that he’s proud of it,” Tolokonnikova said. I wouldn’t say that I support him, I just support a lot of the work that he’s done and I feel that information really should be open. I generally support the work that WikiLeaks is doing, but I’m not that thrilled about his decisions that are unethical, in my view, concerning his connections to the Russian government.
The musician and activist said she likes “a lot of the things” Assange has done, but said his work with Russia Today, a state-funded media outlet, only serves the government’s interests.
Tolokonnikova said she would vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump if she could. She also said Trump and Putin share an “asshole” complex and would not trust Trump because he has not released his tax returns, which could show connections to Putin and Russia.
