Posted on 09/01/2018 6:45:41 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
A former campaign aide accused of lying to the FBI said that then-candidate Donald Trump “nodded with approval” at his suggestion of setting up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
George Papadopoulos’ lawyers argued in new probation filings that President Trump was open to his suggestions about meeting with the foreign leader in March of 2016, The Associated Press reported Saturday.
Papadopoulos allegedly volunteered to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin during a gathering with Trump’s foreign policy advisers, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions — who was a GOP senator at the time.
“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,” defense lawyers wrote.
His lawyers argued in a 16-page defense memo that Papadopoulos was “eager to show his value to the campaign" and should receive leniency.
The aide was hired to the campaign in March 2016 without any previous knowledge of Russian or U.S. diplomacy, AP noted.
Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents not to hurt special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation but to “save his professional aspirations and preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master,” his defense lawyers wrote, according to the AP.
They acknowledge that he “lied, minimized and committed material facts.”
However, due to his loyalty to Trump and his desire to play a pivotal role in his new administration, “he hoisted himself upon his own petard,” his lawyers argued.
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents about his communications with Russians and a London professor and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign and potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Papadopoulos's bragging about seeking dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians during the presidential campaign first launched Mueller's probe, according to congressional investigators.
Mueller recommended last month that Papadopoulos be sentenced to zero to six months in prison and face a fine of $9,500.
Papadopoulos’s wife, Simona Mangiante, suggested last month that she wanted her husband to back out of the deal after her confidence in the Mueller probe wavered.
"I trusted the institutions until they proved me wrong," Mangiante told MSNBC, adding that she had been made aware of "exculpatory evidences that fully justify him to drop off his plea agreement."
She later said that Papadopoulos will stick with the plea deal arranged with Mueller and take “responsibility for some inaccuracies” during his FBI interview.
Lunacy was always there, in high levels.
In desperation,they are exposing it.
Also...if Trump “nodded in approval,” what steps were taken to set up the meeting? Was there any action taken by Papadopoulos to follow through on his “approved” suggestion?
The takeaway is that you should NEVER EVER SPEAK TO AN FBI AGENT ABOUT ANYTHING. NOT ANYTHING. NOT EVER. NOT EVEN SPORTS.
I wonder what the criminal penalty is for “nodding in approval”.
Whatever it is, it’s not HIGH ENOUGH!
HOW DARE!?
/s
Coming from an admitted and now convicted liar, this means nothing. If he ever has to testify the defense will shred him.
Instead of Trump’s team meeting a Russian lawyer, let’s say candidate Trump himself personally met with Putin. Let’s also say that Trump kissed Putin on both cheeks and said “Please help me win the election.” What law has been broken, assuming no money changed hands?
And then afterward, in a meeting with his handler Stephen Halper, Papodopolous was scolded for not doing what he was told.
“Why didn’t you get him to say it verbally so you could get it on the tape???” Halper demanded.
Anyone in the press care to note that a President cannot be impeached for actions that happened before he was president?? Are we to believe that “collusion” is a crime?? If so, where is the statutory cite for that Uournalists?? If the candidate was reduced to using a fourth rate 24yo nobody as a go between with the president of a world power, does that not show there was no prior agreements between the two??
If you read the sentencing recommendation closely, they are recommending a 30 day sentence. It is no wonder that Papadopoulos won't seek to withdraw from the plea bargain. Not worth the time or money.
“....a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master,”
How RACIST! Trump, the WHITE plantation owner.
Even if it is true, who cares?
Good point worth repeating.
These meetings are designed to give neophyte candidates foreign policy "gravitas".
If Trump was colluding with Russia to rig the election why would he need PapaRidiculous to suggest a meeting with Putin?
Exactly. How dos a low level campaign schmuck have access to the highest level of Russian government?
“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,” defense lawyers wrote.”
Sounds like Trump’s nod was for rebuffing George’s offer. Deferring the decision “to look into it” translates to “no way, but we’d rather not humiliate you.”
Other than removing any chance of a future pardon, George has nothing.
They’re all going nuts over at the Hill!
Exactly.
That has been their strategy all along. Take all of these non-criminal acts and then spin them in such a fashion that they sound criminal. And then they scoff when someone like Rudy Giuliani comes right out and says, "So what? Not a crime!"
"SO YOU ADMIT HE DID IT!!!"
“This is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump”
— Every progressive every day for 3 years running
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