Former Trump adviser sentenced to prison.
George Papadopoulos, former advisor to US President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 14 days in jail for lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
George Papadopoulos, a former advisor to US President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 14 days in jail for lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to a September 7 ruling by a court in Washington, D.C., Papadopoulos, 31, will also be placed on probation for 12 months after his release, and must perform 200 hours of community service and pay a $9,500 fine.
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| George Papadopoulos (right) and his wife arrive at court to prepare for sentencing on September 7. Photo: BBC |
Papadopoulos was the first former aide to President Trump to be arrested by US authorities in the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Last October, he confessed to lying to the FBI about the timing of his meetings with suspected Moscow representatives.
According to the BBC, speaking in court on September 7th, Papadopoulos asserted that he was "a patriotic American" but had made the mistake of lying. Papadopoulos said his entire life had been turned upside down and he hoped for a second chance to rebuild his life. The former assistant to the current White House leader further emphasized, "this investigation (referring to the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election two years ago) has global significance and will shed light on the truth."
Born in Chicago, Papadopoulos worked as an oil analyst in London, England, before joining Trump's campaign in March 2016 as a volunteer foreign policy advisor. He quickly befriended a mysterious scholar of Maltese nationality named Joseph Mifsud.
Professor Mifsud told Papadopoulos that the Russians were "playing dirty" against Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic opponent in the White House race, in the form of "thousands of emails." The young political adviser immediately informed Trump, then the Republican presidential candidate, and other members of his campaign that he could arrange a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the November 2016 general election.
The indictment, released last week, stated, "Although some of those present in the room objected to Papadopoulos's suggestion, Trump nodded in agreement and looked toward Jeff Sessions (currently serving as U.S. Attorney General), who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign team needed to study it."
In a recent CNN interview, Papadopoulos admitted that while Trump seemed to agree with his idea, he was "not committed in any way" to the proposal to meet with the Kremlin leader. However, Senator Sessions was "really enthusiastic." Last November, when testifying before Congress, Sessions insisted he had "rejected" Papadopoulos's proposal.
US authorities were alerted to the matter by an Australian diplomat in mid-2016, after Papadopoulos confided to him during a drinking session in London about his meetings with Professor Mifsud. When the FBI questioned Papadopoulos in January 2017, he falsely claimed to have met two individuals with ties to Russia before joining Trump's team in March 2016. In reality, he met them after becoming an advisor to Trump.
Speaking outside the courthouse on September 7, Thomas Breen, Papadopoulos's lawyer, called his client an "idiot" and said he acted "stupidly" for lying to the FBI. The lawyer asserted that "the US president is the one obstructing the investigation more than Papadopoulos."
