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 Trumps foreign policy advisers, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions who was a GOP senator at the time.
While some in the room rebuffed Georges 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 Muellers 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.
Papadopouloss 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.
Candidate Trump flicked a piece of lint off his sleeve which was undeniably a clear signal to approve having Russia hack the election and deny the rightful inheritor of her throne, so sayeth anonymous sources.
Can I get a Gig with ‘The Hill’? Oh please, pretty please?
Sadly, you are correct. A hundred years ago and prior, I think they had standards. No more.
If I recall correctly I saw one report that there is some evidence that Mr. Poppo was a nobody used by either the Russians or Hillary’s gang to infiltrate Trump’s campaign. Seems logical to me that hillary’s crime syndicate would pay him to set Trump up using the Russian trap. Poppo was too eager to push the Russian thing. Odd for a “newcomer” to the campaign.
(((YAWN))) Little Spanky here is clueless. “Nod of approval”. ROTFL.
Papadopoulos was recommended to Sam Clovis of the Trump campaign by Stefan Halper, a known FBI/CIA/DoD ‘asset’ who’s been in GOP circles since Nixon.
Carter Page was recommended to Sam Clovis of the Trump campaign by Ed Cox, son-in-law of Richard Nixon and NY GOP chair. Cox is also with Noble Energy, where Papadopoulus worked on a deal between Greece and Cyprus. Small world.
Trump is such a taciturn fellow that he commonly just nods approval.
Yes, the young Papadopoulos was set up. He’s innocent but became roadkill as the criminal elements of the Deep State used him and others to get at Trump.
I hope Trump pardons him and restores him and his family back to a positive future. He certainly will be wiser after what he’s been put through.
Backstory here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3683646/posts
Why would Trump nod in approval at that? According to the MSM and the democrats, all Trump would have to do is pick up the phone and mention it during one of their daily chats.
A nod is as good as a wink to a blind man.
5.56mm
He farted in the general direction of a Russian.
Does anyone else find the irony of this? A guy accused of lying to the FBI is now supposed to be a paragon or truth because he says something negative about Trump. That’s the Left and the leftist media.
Probably through the FBI's spy Steven Halper since he had the Russian connections. Halper had been in contact with Popadopoulos.
He got awfully close to the throne for someone who just wandered in. Real strange and very poor judgement to let him get this close. The guy who brought him looks flaky to me as well. Air Force Academy grad or not. Flakes come from everywhere.
Damn! They found out!
Maybe it was just gas.
-PJ
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