Mueller's team wants George Papadopoulos to spend 6 months in jail, says lying impeded investigation
Federal authorities had cornered the man they suspected had been a key part of Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, and they might have been more successful in their investigation in early 2017 if it had not been for George Papadopoulos, the special counsel alleged on Friday.
Posted — UpdatedSpecial counsel prosecutors are recommending up to six months in jail for Papadopoulos for lying to investigators, according to a court filing on Friday. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in October 2017 to making false statements to investigators.
Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign staffer, lied to the FBI in January 2017 after his contact Joseph Mifsud -- known as the professor in London -- told him the Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. Federal authorities found Mifsud in Washington two weeks later, but allowed him to leave the country.
"The defendant's lies undermined investigators' ability to challenge the Professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States," prosecutors wrote. "The defendant's false statements were intended to harm the investigation, and did so."
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
