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I don't have links to all of the articles I've read on this over the last few weeks or the things I've seen on television about it. I also, obviously can't link to the conversations I've had about it - I know a lot of people in the Australian political and diplomatic communities as friends - I even know Downer himself, slightly, although haven't spoken to him since 2015 so certainly haven't discussed this with him (and probably wouldn't anyway).

So this isn't where I read the information (I think it was an article in The Australian from around the same date - but it's what I've been able to find quickly and seems likely to have drawn on the same sources.

'Romantic encounter' set off Australia's role in triggering Donald Trump investigation

This is a new article The drink that started the Mueller investigation: George Papadopoulos and Alexander Downer tell us everything

The meeting was arranged by Erika Thompson, an Australian who was a political counsellor at Australia's London High Commission and whose partner worked at the Israeli embassy.

He suggested that Mr Downer should meet Mr Papadopoulos.

The detail these are missing that I've heard from other sources is that 'political counsellor' (I've now checked his name Christian Cantor) was a friend (or at least acquaintance) of Papadopoulous and he introduced Papadopoulous and Thompson, and it was at that meeting Papadopoulous asked if she could arrange for him to meet Downer.

Like I say, I'd love an official inquiry into all this - to make it all clearer. But I'd very surprised if it emerged Downer did anything inappapropriate.

It comes down to the word of a man who has been convicted in the United States of lying to the FBI versus the word of a man who has served his country with distinction for forty years, and who has a personal history of utter commitment to both the Australian-United States alliance, and conservative politics.