Washington (AFP) - A former advisor to US President Donald Trump whose contacts with Russians set off the investigation into possible collusion with Moscow was jailed Friday for lying to the FBI. US District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos to 14 days in prison, acknowledging his guilty plea and his remorse, but noting that he "lied in an investigation that was important to national security." Papadopoulos was the second person ordered to prison in the sprawling, 16-month Russia collusion investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It came just over two weeks after two former top Trump aides were convicted of felony crimes in cases that grew out of the probe. Trump suggested the conviction was trivial for a probe that has cost millions since it launched in May 2017 -- while ignoring the 35 indictments, five guilty pleas and one trial conviction Mueller has racked up so far. "14 days for $28 MILLION - $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!" Trump tweeted. Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has its own Russia collusion investigation, applauded Mueller's work. Despite constant attacks by the president, Mueller and his team "are conducting a serious, professional investigation" into the 2016 Trump campaign's contacts with Russians, Warner said in a statement. - Russia approach - Papadopoulos, 31, was an inexperienced London-based oil analyst when he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 on the Republican candidate's national security advisory board. Told the campaign's priority was to improve relations with Russia, within weeks Papadopoulos made contact with a mysterious professor, Joseph Mifsud, who touted links to the Kremlin. Mifsud introduced him to others who ostensibly had connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- including a woman who claimed to be Putin's niece. Story continues At a campaign meeting at the end of March 2016 Papadopoulos told Trump, then-senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and other campaign officials that he had connections in London that could set up a Trump-Putin meeting ahead of the November election. "While some in the room rebuffed George's offer, Mr Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it," Papadopoulos's lawyers said in a pre-sentencing statement last week. Sessions has claimed he opposed the idea, but Papadopoulos continued to discuss it with top campaign officials over the following months. Papadopoulos told CNN in a late Friday interview that Trump "gave me a sort of a nod" and "wasn't committed either way" at that meeting -- but that Sessions "was actually enthusiastic" about a Trump-Putin gathering. He also said that Mifsud told him in April that the Russians had "thousands of emails" about Clinton -- which Papadopoulos described as a "momentous statement" but not a direct offer of assistance. His reaction was that Mifsud "was simply repeating gossip and rumors," Papadopoulos said. Did he tell anyone? "All I can say about this question -- because I've been asked a million times -- is if I told anyone it would have been discovered by now," he told CNN. "As far as I remember, I absolutely did not share this information with anyone on the campaign. "I might have, but I have no recollection of doing so." Weeks later, the stolen Clinton emails were posted online by what US intelligence chiefs now say were Russian intelligence actors. The mysterious Mifsud has since vanished, CNN said. - 'Young and ambitious' - FBI agents quietly opened a probe into Trump campaign officials possibly colluding with Russia after they were tipped off by an Australian diplomat that Papadopoulos had spoken about Russians having dirt on Clinton. Papadopoulos admitted that he lied to FBI investigators when they interviewed him. "In January 2017, I made a terrible mistake for which I paid dearly, I am ashamed," Papadopoulos told the court in Washington. "I was young and ambitious." His lawyer Tom Breen said that at the time, Papadopoulos was naive and acted on what he told the court was a "misguided loyalty" to Trump, who had been inaugurated as president just one week before. Breen noted that Trump was already calling the allegations of Russian election interference "fake news" and a "political witch hunt" -- terms he continues to use for the Mueller probe. Trump "hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did," Breen said. Judge Moss said he considered Papadopoulos's "genuine remorse" in issuing the light sentence, which included a $9,500 fine, a year on parole and community service. Papadopoulos has cooperated for more than a year with Mueller's probe, but it remains unknown whether he has provided investigators with any information supporting allegations of collusion with Russia. Mueller's office did not immediately comment on the sentence.<doc-sep>A US judge handed George Papadopoulos a 14-day prison sentence on Friday, noting that the former campaign adviser to US President Donald Trump had "lied in an investigation that was important to national security." Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year to making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Russian intermediaries. He is the first campaign aide to be sentenced in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing probe into possible collusion between Russia and the 2016 election campaign of then-Republican candidate Trump. "I hope to have a second chance to redeem myself," Papadopoulos told the federal court in Washington. "I made a dreadful mistake but I am a good man." Read more: What you need to know about the Mueller investigation Light sentence Government prosecutors had demanded a prison sentence of up to six months, saying that Papadopoulos' lies had impeded their investigation and that his efforts to cooperate were "at best begrudging." Judge Randolph Moss said he took into consideration Papadopoulos' "genuine remorse" in issuing the lesser sentence, which included 200 hours of community service, a $9,500 fine and a year on parole. Read more: Trump pooh-poohs Papadopoulos meeting A timeline of the Russia investigation 2013: Mr. Trump goes to Russia June 18, 2013. Donald Trump tweeted: "The Miss Universe Pageant will be broadcast live from MOSCOW, RUSSIA on November 9. A big deal that will bring our countries together!" He later added: "Do you think Putin will be going - if so, will he become my new best friend?" October 17, 2013 Trump tells chat show host David Letterman he has conducted "a lot of business with the Russians." A timeline of the Russia investigation September 2015: Hacking allegations raised An FBI agent tells a tech-support contractor at the Democratic National Committee it may have been hacked. On May 18, 2016, James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, says there were "some indications" of cyberattacks aimed at the presidential campaigns. On June 14, 2016 the DNC announces it had been the victim of an attack by Russian hackers. A timeline of the Russia investigation July 20, 2016: Kislyak enters the picture Senator Jeff Sessions — an early Trump endorser who led his national security advisory committee — meets Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and a group of other ambassadors at a Republican National Convention event. A timeline of the Russia investigation July 22, 2016: Assange thickens the plot Julian Assange's WikiLeaks publishes 20,000 emails stolen from the DNC, appearing to show a preference for Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders. A timeline of the Russia investigation July 25, 2016: Cometh the hour, Comey the man The FBI announces it is investigating the DNC hack saying "a compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously." A timeline of the Russia investigation November 8, 2016: Trump elected Donald Trump is elected president of the United States. On November 9, the Russian parliament burst into applause at the news. A timeline of the Russia investigation November 10, 2016: Team Trump denies Russia link Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Rybakov says there "were contacts" between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the election campaign. The Trump campaign issues a firm denial. A timeline of the Russia investigation November 18, 2016: Flynn appointed Trump names General Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. The former Defense Intelligence Agency chief was a top foreign policy adviser in Trump's campaign. Flynn resigned in February after failing to disclose full details of his communication with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. A timeline of the Russia investigation January 26, 2017: Yates - 'The center cannot hold' Acting Attorney General Sally Yates tells White House counsel Don McGahn that Flynn made false statements regarding his calls with Kislyak. On January 30, Trump fires Yates for refusing to enforce his travel ban, which was later blocked by federal courts. A timeline of the Russia investigation March 2, 2017: Sessions recuses himself Trump says he has "total confidence" in Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Sessions announces he will recuse himself from any investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. A timeline of the Russia investigation March 20, 2017: FBI examines Trump-Kremlin links FBI Director James Comey confirms before the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the FBI was investigating possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign. A timeline of the Russia investigation May 9, 2017: Trump sacks Comey In a letter announcing the termination, Trump writes: "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau." A timeline of the Russia investigation May 17, 2017: Mueller appointed special counsel Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Robert Mueller to look into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. A timeline of the Russia investigation August 2017: FBI seizes documents from Manafort Shortly after Mueller convenes a grand jury for the investigation, the FBI seizes documents from one of Paul Manafort's properties as part of a raid for Mueller's probe. The former Trump campaigner manager stepped down in August 2016 after allegations surfaced that he had received large payments linked to Ukraine's former pro-Russian government. A timeline of the Russia investigation September 2017: Trump Jr.'s talks to Senate committee Donald Trump Jr. tells the Senate Judiciary Committee he has not colluded with a foreign government. The closed-door interview relates to his June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, which was also attended by his brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort. Trump Jr.’s emails, however, suggest the meeting was supposed to produce dirt on Clinton. A timeline of the Russia investigation October 2017: Internet giants allege Russian interference Facebook, Twitter and Google reportedly tell US media they have evidence that Russian operatives exploited platforms to spread disinformation during the 2016 US presidential election. The three companies are appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee in November 2017.<doc-sep>George Papadopoulos, the former foreign policy advisor to President Trump’s campaign whose suspicious conversations triggered the Russia investigation, was sentenced Friday to 14 days in prison and one year of supervised release. The sentencing, coming nearly one year after he pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents, ends an important yet mysterious story line in the examination of whether anyone from Trump’s team conspired with Moscow to influence the presidential election. Judge Randolph D. Moss said the sentence could have been higher but he sensed “genuine remorse” from Papadopoulos. The judge said there’s no evidence Papadopoulos had “any desire to aid Russia in any way.” However, by lying to the FBI in hopes of maintaining his shot at a job in the Trump administration, he placed “self-interest over the national interest,” Moss said. Papadopoulos, 31, had never before appeared in a public court hearing; he admitted his guilt during a closed session last October. Advertisement Before the sentencing, Papadopoulos made a statement, describing himself as a “patriotic American” who made a mistake by lying to investigators. “I was not honest, and I might have hindered the investigation.” The junior advisor first appeared on investigators’ radar during the campaign after he told an Australian diplomat that Russians had political dirt on Hillary Clinton, who was on her way to becoming the Democratic nominee for president. When hacked emails were released publicly that summer — part of an operation that intelligence officials later concluded was orchestrated by the Kremlin — the diplomat informed U.S. officials and a counterintelligence investigation began. About a week after Trump’ January 2017 inauguration, FBI agents knocked on the door of the Chicago home where Papadopoulos was living with his mother, Kiki. “I see two tall men in black suits,” Kiki Papadopoulos told reporters outside the courthouse on Friday. “I say, oh my God, trouble.” She said her son, who had just stepped out of the shower, received a text from the men saying they were with the FBI, and he urged his mother to let them in. The agents started talking with Papadopoulos, and he agreed to an interview at their field office downtown. “I said, ‘George, please stop; they’re not your friends,’” his mother said. “He wouldn’t listen.” During the interview that day, Papadopoulos lied to the agents about his April 2016 conversation with Joseph Mifsud, a Maltese professor working in London who had ties to Russian officials. Although Papadopoulos confirmed that Mifsud told him Russians had “thousands of emails” involving Clinton, he claimed he hadn’t yet joined the Trump campaign when they spoke. Before Papadopoulos sat down for the interview, Trump had been blasting the Russia investigation as “fake news” and a “witch hunt,” said Thomas Breen, a lawyer for Papadopoulos. Because of Papadopoulos’ loyalty to the president, “that’s the mind-set going in there” with the FBI, Breen said. Advertisement It’s unclear if the conversation between Mifsud and Papadopoulos was part of Moscow’s larger scheme to boost Trump’s candidacy. Mifsud’s current whereabouts are unknown, and Papadopoulos has denied telling anyone else from the president’s campaign about Mifsud’s claims. Trump and his allies have repeatedly downplayed Papadopoulos’ role on the campaign, with one of them describing him as a mere “coffee boy.” The president told reporters on Air Force One on Friday that “I don’t know Papadopoulos.” “I saw him sitting in one picture at a table with me, that’s the only thing I know about him,” Trump said, referring to a widely circulated photo of Papadopoulos in a meeting with Trump and several other advisors. Prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had asked the judge to sentence Papadopoulos to up to six months in prison, saying his false statements “were intended to harm the investigation, and did so.” Advertisement The FBI met with Mifsud while he was visiting the United States in early 2017, but Papadopoulos’ lies “undermined investigators’ ability to challenge the professor or potentially detain or arrest him.” In a court filing, lawyers for Papadopoulos had argued for probation, saying he was “ashamed and remorseful” but wasn’t trying to undermine the Russia probe when he was “caught off-guard by an impromptu interrogation.” They said prosecutors have not provided any proof that Papadopoulos “actually harmed the investigation as alleged.” The lawyers portrayed Papadopoulos as “out of his depth” as a foreign policy advisor for a candidate for whom he had “unbridled loyalty.” Papadopoulos’ goal in speaking with Mifsud was not related to seeking dirt on Clinton, the lawyers said, but an effort to broker a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement When Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year, he pledged to help the special counsel’s office with its investigation. But prosecutors said his assistance was negligible. “He didn’t come close to a standard of substantial assistance,” Andrew Goldstein, one of the prosecutors, told the judge on Friday. He added, “It was, at best, begrudging attempts to cooperate.” Papadopoulos disagreed in his own court filing, arguing that he “cooperated fully” and provided “critical information.” Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington » Advertisement chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian UPDATES: 3 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from attorneys and Papadopoulos ’ mother. Advertisement 1:45 p.m.: This article was updated after the sentencing. This article was originally published at 11 a.m.<doc-sep>The Democratic National Committee, which is suing Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks over the alleged election interference in the 2016, filed a court document on Friday, saying Mr Mifsud "was missing and may be deceased", without any further explanation, according to Bloomberg News.<doc-sep>
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Papadopoulos, a former aide to then-Republican candidate Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, was sentenced on Friday to 14 days in prison after pleading guilty last year to lying to federal agents investigating whether campaign members coordinated with Russia before the election. Prosecutors for Special Counsel Robert Mueller said Papadopoulos lied to agents about his contacts with Russians during the campaign “to minimize both his own role as a witness and the extent of the campaign’s knowledge of his contacts,” according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. Among those contacts were London-based professor Joseph Mifsud, who told him the Russians had “dirt” on Trump’s Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton in the form of “thousands of emails.” Papadopoulos defended himself and contradicted White House officials in a CNN special program Saturday night, “The Mysterious case of George Papadopoulos.” In the interview with CNN reporter Jake Tapper, Papadopoulos said that he raised the prospect of Trump and his campaign officials meeting with the Russians. “The candidate (Trump) gave a nod, but did not commit either way,” he said. Trump has denied knowing anything about contact with Russians and his campaign. Russia has denied U.S. allegations that it interfered in the campaign and Trump denies campaign collusion. Prosecutors had asked Judge Randolph Moss in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to impose a prison sentence of up to six months, saying that Papadopoulos’ lies impeded their investigation and that he did not cooperate. “He didn’t come close to the standard of ‘substantial assistance,’” prosecutor Andrew Goldstein told the judge at the sentencing hearing. “It was at best, begrudging efforts to cooperate.” In addition to the prison time, Papadopoulos was sentenced to one year of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $9,500. ‘TIME TO THINK’ Friday was his first public court appearance since he pleaded guilty in October 2017 to lying to the FBI while the case was still sealed. “I hope to have a second chance to redeem myself,” Papadopoulos told the judge. “I made a dreadful mistake but I am a good man.” He and his wife left the courthouse without speaking to the press. However, Papadopoulos’ mother Kiki told reporters she was satisfied he had received a fair sentence. “I am very happy with the judge. He was very fair,” Kiki Papadopoulos said. “I would have preferred less time in jail, but that’s OK. It will give him time to think things over.” The White House distanced itself from Papadopoulos, referring to his campaign role as nothing more than a low-level coffee boy, after his guilty plea. His mother said on Friday that she “still supports” Trump. The sentence that Papadopoulos received is about half the prison time given to Alex van der Zwaan, a lawyer who was also charged with lying to the FBI during the special counsel’s probe. Van der Zwaan was sentenced to 30 days in prison. Moss said he wanted to impose some prison time because while he did not “remotely believe Mr Papadopoulos was seeking to assist the Russian government,” he was nevertheless troubled by Papadopoulos’ selfish motives to lie to the FBI so that he would not lose a shot at getting a possible job in the Trump administration. Slideshow ( 8 images ) Ultimately, Moss said he felt Papadopoulos expressed genuine remorse. The judge who sentenced Van der Zwaan, by contrast, did not feel he was contrite about his crimes. During Friday’s hearing, Papadopoulos’ attorney Thomas Breen went out his way to praise the FBI, and he also criticized Trump for calling the Russia probe fake news and a witch hunt. “The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could,” Breen told the judge. He portrayed Papadopoulos as a naive young man who was “being worked by a pro,” a reference to Professor Mifsud, whom he later said he believes was working for Russia and trying to take advantage of his client. “No offense, but he was unsophisticated, he was naive and he was foolish,” Breen said in court. Slideshow ( 8 images ) ‘ENTHUSIASTIC’ Breen told reporters after Friday’s hearing that Papadopoulos does not recall telling anyone in the Trump campaign about Mifsud’s comments about the Russians having dirt on Clinton.