Free Republic

House Republicans say George Papadopoulos's closed-door testimony before lawmakers on Thursday has reinforced their views that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential race. Two GOP lawmakers on the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees -- panels that are leading a joint investigation into FBI and Justice Department decision-making during the race -- described Papadopoulos as a clueless former campaign aide who somehow got swept up in the high-profile federal investigation, arguing that they have seen no evidence of collusion. They took shots at the ongoing Russia investigation, expressing dismay that federal officials...

George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign policy aide, told Politico Wednesday that he is willing to testify before Congress. "I don't have an issue as long as my lawyers are fine," he said. Papadopoulos' overseas activities were the initial trigger for the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. When the FBI cited Papadopoulos' involvement with Australian diplomat Alexander Downer when it opened the probe in Aug. 2016. Papadopoulos reportedly told Downer he had been informed Russians had obtained thousands of Hillary Clinton's emails by Joseph Mifsud, a professor with ties to the country. Whether Papadopoulos shared this...

Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos said Sunday that he does not believe he incriminated President Trump in cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. Papadopoulos said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that he was "taken off guard" by the investigation because he didn't "understand the nature of what was going on." "At the time of my interview with the FBI, I think around three or four days before that, I was at the inauguration attending parties with senior level transition officials," Papadopoulos said. "I understood that there was an incipient investigation into Russian interference in...

If one reads special counsel Robert Mueller’s court filings against George Papadopoulos, it’s hard not to conclude that the former Trump campaign aide lied to FBI agents to hide some sinister plot with Russia. Now, let me be clear: I don’t condone lying to anyone, especially the FBI. But there is a much different version of events than the one spun by prosecutors in court filings, Democrats in Congress, or most reporters. An account kept from the public for more than 18 months. It comes from one of the FBI’s primary sources in the Papadopoulos case, European professor Joseph Mifsud....