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Donald Trump tweets dismiss George Papadopoulos as 'low level volunteer' Donald Trump tweets dismiss George Papadopoulos as 'low level volunteer'
(about 5 hours later)
Donald Trump has broken his silence over the former foreign policy aide who tried to secure a meeting for him with Vladimir Putin during the election campaign and has admitted lying to federal investigators about his work. Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from a former foreign policy aide who pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians during last year’s US election campaign.
Trump fired off a series of tweets on Tuesday morning in which he publicly addressed for the first time the conviction of ex-adviser George Papadopoulos, which was revealed on Monday shortly after Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was charged with a catalogue of serious federal crimes. The president fired off a series of characteristic tweets on Tuesday in which he publicly addressed for the first time the indictment of ex-adviser George Papadopoulos, which was revealed on Monday shortly after Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was charged with a catalogue of serious federal crimes.
“Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar,” Trump posted on Twitter shortly after 8am local time on Tuesday, adding: “Check the DEMS!” “Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar,” Trump posted on Twitter shortly after 8am local time, adding: “Check the DEMS!”
It emerged on Monday that Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to federal agents working for special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. It emerged on Monday that Papadopoulos had admitted meeting Russians to get “dirt” on election rival Hillary Clinton and lied about it to federal agents working for special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his five-month-old investigation into possible coordination between the Trump election campaign and Russia.
Papadopoulos’s plea was unsealed on the same day Manafort and a business associate, Rick Gates, were charged with money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and failing to register as agents of foreign interests. Papadopoulos’s plea was unsealed on the same day Manafort and a business associate, Rick Gates, were charged with money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and failing to register as agents of foreign interests. They appeared in court and denied the charges.
Papadopoulos is the first person to face criminal charges that cite interactions between Trump campaign associates and people claiming to be Russian intermediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign. There was speculation that Mueller was firing a warning shot about the reach of his investigation and the severe consequences for anyone who gives false statements. It raised fresh questions about what Trump knew and when he knew it.
Despite Trump’s claim that “few people knew” Papadopoulos, the future president himself referred to him as an “excellent guy” in an interview with the Washington Post in March 2016 about his new foreign policy team. Papadopoulos – an energy lawyer who has, according to media reports, embellished his CV – is the first person to face criminal charges that cite interactions between Trump campaign associates and people claiming to be Russian intermediaries during the 2016 campaign. He has been working with Mueller’s team for three months and is described in court documents as a “proactive cooperator”.
Later that month the future president posted a picture on Instagram captioned “meeting with my national security team” in which Papadopoulos can be seen four seats to his right. Despite Trump’s claim that “few people knew” Papadopoulos belies the fact that the future president himself referred to Papadopoulos as an “excellent guy” in an interview with the Washington Post in March 2016 about his new foreign policy team.
In addition, the court documents released by Mueller’s team on Monday show that unnamed campaign officials told Papadopoulos “great work” when he said he was trying to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin and encouraged him to make a trip to meet Russian officials in lieu of Trump himself. Later that month Trump posted a picture on Instagram captioned “meeting with my national security team” in which Papadopoulos can be seen four seats to his right.
In addition, the court documents released by Mueller’s team on Monday show that unnamed campaign officials told Papadopoulos “great work” when he said he was trying to arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin and encouraged him to make a trip to meet Russian officials in lieu of Trump himself.
The meetings never happened and, following the dramatic events in Washington on Monday, the president’s team insisted that Papadopoulos, 30, played a limited role in the campaign and had no access to Trump.The meetings never happened and, following the dramatic events in Washington on Monday, the president’s team insisted that Papadopoulos, 30, played a limited role in the campaign and had no access to Trump.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Monday: “Look, this individual was the member of a volunteer advisory council that met one time over the course of a year … The only interaction I’m aware of that deals with this individual was him reaching out and being repeatedly denied.”
Trump sent out heated tweets repeatedly on Sunday, calling Mueller’s investigation a witch-hunt and asserting that there was no collusion between his election campaign and the Russian authorities and calling for greater scrutiny of claims of wrongdoing by his election rival Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party.Trump sent out heated tweets repeatedly on Sunday, calling Mueller’s investigation a witch-hunt and asserting that there was no collusion between his election campaign and the Russian authorities and calling for greater scrutiny of claims of wrongdoing by his election rival Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party.
Then on Monday, Manafort turned himself in and the Papadopoulos conviction was unsealed. Then on Monday, Manafort turned himself in and the Papadopoulos indictment was unsealed.
Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning: “The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts [sic] lawyer said, there was ‘no collusion’ and events mentioned took place long before he ... came to the campaign.”Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning: “The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts [sic] lawyer said, there was ‘no collusion’ and events mentioned took place long before he ... came to the campaign.”
He then sought to distance himself from Papadopoulos and further tweeted that he hoped people would focus instead on his plans for tax cuts and “Democrat corruption”.He then sought to distance himself from Papadopoulos and further tweeted that he hoped people would focus instead on his plans for tax cuts and “Democrat corruption”.
Meanwhile, Russian officials brushed off the allegations in broad terms without going into specifics. Senator Alexei Pushkov wrote on Twitter: “Neither Trump, nor his campaign or Russian officials are mentioned. A ‘professor with ties to the Kremlin’? Ridiculous.” Monday’s events marked a significant acceleration of Mueller’s investigation, which continues to cast a shadow over the White House as Trump’s approval rating has dropped to just 33%, according to a recent Gallup poll.
Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes wrote on the influential Lawfare blog: “Trump, in short, had on his campaign at least one person, and allegedly two people, who actively worked with adversarial foreign governments in a fashion they sought to criminally conceal from investigators.
“The release of these documents should, though it probably won’t, put to rest the suggestion that there are no serious questions of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.”
Meanwhile, Russian officials brushed off the allegations in broad terms but did not offer specific details. Senator Alexei Pushkov wrote on Twitter: “Neither Trump, nor his campaign or Russian officials are mentioned. A ‘professor with ties to the Kremlin’? Ridiculous.”
Papadopoulos’s plea deal states that he was told in April 2016 by an unnamed “professor” – identified by the Washington Post as Joseph Mifsud – that Russia had “dirt” on Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails”.Papadopoulos’s plea deal states that he was told in April 2016 by an unnamed “professor” – identified by the Washington Post as Joseph Mifsud – that Russia had “dirt” on Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails”.
The foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, called the allegations of a Russian link “hysteria”, while the ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, wrote on Facebook that she was “enjoying following the American circus” around the allegations. This echoes a June 2016 meeting in which Donald Trump Jr met four Russians at Trump Tower in New York after being promised “dirt” on Clinton. Manafort and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were also present.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, called the allegations of a Russian link “hysteria”, while the ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, wrote on Facebook that she was “enjoying following the American circus” around the allegations.
However, Lavrov refused to answer a specific question on whether the Russian foreign ministry was aware of Papadopoulos’s approach.However, Lavrov refused to answer a specific question on whether the Russian foreign ministry was aware of Papadopoulos’s approach.
Press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday that she does not know which individuals from the campaign are included in the email exchange with Papadopoulos. The names were redacted in the court documents unsealed on Monday.
An attorney for Trump’s former Iowa campaign chairman, Sam Clovis, confirmed that references to the “campaign supervisor” are to him. Trump has nominated Clovis to serve as chief scientist of the US department of agriculture.
Asked if the administration is reconsidering Clovis’ nomination, Sanders said: “I’m not aware that any change would be necessary at this time.”
She continued to downplay Papadopoulos’ significance, insisting: “Papadopoulos is an example of actually somebody doing the wrong thing while the president’s campaign did the right thing,” Sanders said during the press briefing.
“All of his emails were voluntarily provided to the special counsel by the campaign and that is what led to the process and the place that we’re in right now was the campaign fully cooperating and we’re helping with that.
“What Papadopoulos did was lie and that’s on him not on the campaign and we can’t speak for that.”