A Trump Campaign Adviser Plead Guilty To Lying To The FBI About Russian Connections
The same day that President Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort turned himself in for charges of conspiracy and fraud as a result of the probe into Russia's connection to the 2016 election, details of an even more important case were revealed. On Monday, court documents were unsealed that showed early Trump adviser George Papadopoulos pleading guilty in early October to lying to the FBI about his communications with people connected to the Russian government. Here's what you need to know.
Papadopoulos Lied To The FBI About His Communications With Someone Claiming To Have 'Dirt' On Hillary Clinton
The documents say that Papadopoulos lied to the FBI in January about a professor, who he understood had connections to the Russian government, who claimed to have "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in thousands of emails. Papadopoulos claimed he connected with the professor before joining the Trump campaign when in reality they made first contact just weeks after Papadopoulos joined the campaign.
Papadopoulos Lied About Repeatedly Trying To Arrange Meetings Between The Trump Campaign And Russians
The filing says Papadopoulos originally downplayed his interactions with the professor to the agents, who he repeatedly engaged in attempts to coordinate meetings between Trump Campaign and Russian officials. He also apparently obscured his attempts to secure meetings with Russian officials through a "female Russian national" who he believed to be related to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Papadopoulos Was Told That The Foreign Policy Focus Of The Campaign Was To Improve Relations With Russia
The plea deal says that Papadopoulos' understanding as an adviser was that the Trump campaign's main foreign policy concern was to improve relations with Russia — a foreign policy position that Trump did signal during his campaign among others.
When he reported his meetings with the professor and woman who he thought was related to President Putin, a campaign supervisor said "great work."
Papadopoulos Had Multiple Conversations With A Russian Government Connection
The professor connected Papadopoulos to someone associated with Russia's foreign affairs ministry, who he talked with over Skype multiple times. Papadopoulos repeatedly forwarded an email he received from the contact to Trump campaign officials. Papadopoulos did not tell FBI agents about the connection when originally asked.
The Campaign Aimed To Downplay The Attempted Meetings
In a footnote, the brief states that a campaign official commented on the potential meetings with Russian officials "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal." Papadopoulos offered to meet with officials "off the record."
Papadopoulos Deactivated His Facebook The Day After His Interview With The FBI
The day after Papadopoulos admittedly lied to the FBI, he deactivated his Facebook, which had information about his communications with the professor and the Russian government connection. Days later he began using a new cell phone number.
Papadopoulos Is Now Cooperating With The Investigation
In the plea deal, the government says that Papadopoulos is now cooperating with the investigation: "The Government agrees to bring to the Court's attention at sentencing the defendant's efforts to cooperate with the Government… Your client also agrees that the sentencing in this case may be delayed until your client's efforts to cooperate have been completed[.]"
Papadopoulos' attorneys issued a statement after the release of the documents providing no further comment.
The Charges Are The First Reported Pertaining To Trump's Actual Campaign
While the charges brought against Papadopoulos may be obscured by the charges brought against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, the ones against Papadopoulos are more substantively related to the objective of Robert Mueller's investigation — to probe Russia's interference and involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
The Washington Post Revealed Portions Of His Communications In August
Portions of the emails cited in the plea deal were reported on by The Washington Post in August as part of the materials that were submitted to Special Investigator Mueller by the Trump campaign.
Papadopoulos Came Under Scrutiny During The Campaign For His Inexperience
Candidate Trump provided The Washington Post Papadopoulos' name as a foreign policy adviser in March of 2016, after which Papadopoulos came under scrutiny for being fairly inexperienced. He graduated DePaul University in 2009 and received a masters' degree in 2010, after which he worked as a research assistant at a conservative think tank and advised candidate Ben Carson.
Several people in energy policy circles in London, Washington and New York said they knew nothing of him. Almost all his work appears to have revolved around the role of Greece, Cyprus and an Israeli natural gas discovery in the eastern Mediterranean… Papadopoulos has not left much of a paper trail. He has written an oped piece in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and three articles for Arutz Sheva, an Israeli news site. He has given an interview on another Web site.
Read the full Statement Of Offense below:
