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100 Spin Doctors Picket Prokhorov for Money

A group of political consultants hired for Mikhail Prokhorov's failed State Duma campaign picketed the downtown offices of his Onexim Group on Thursday, insisting he owes them money for their work, Interfax reported.

Some 100 people showed up, co-organizer Sergei Medvedev said. He added that the event was unsanctioned, but police did not intervene.

"When political trouble started for Mikhail Dmitriyevich [Prokhorov], all work was halted and money was not paid in full." Medvedev said. "They treated us like garbage, telling us we should be glad to get at least something."

Medvedev said the debt to each of the consultants ranged from hundreds of thousands of rubles to 2 million rubles ($62,000), but did not elaborate. He also said the consultants cannot sue because they signed no contracts and worked on oral promises.

Prokhorov did not comment Thursday. The billionaire took over the Right Cause party this summer and kicked off a campaign, but was ousted last week in a party coup linked to the Kremlin, allegedly displeased with his independent policies.

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