Former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos learned Friday that he will be spending two weeks behind bars as a consequence of pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. While that bit of information might be considered a snoozefest in the grand scheme considering how light a sentence it is, what led up to the sentence was anything but.
Politico reporter Kyle Cheney‘s tweets on what was happening inside the courtroom are raising eyebrows. In advance of the sentencing, attorney Thomas Breen said that President Donald Trump has hindered special counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation more than Papadopoulos ever did.
NEWS: In sentencing hearing, lawyer for PAPADOPOULOS says @realDonaldTrump “hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could” by launching a “fake news campaign” and calling FBI Russia probe a “witch hunt.”
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 7, 2018
PAPADOPOULOS’ attorney said Trump’s efforts dwarfed his client’s actions. “The president of the United States, the commander in Chief, told the world that this was fake news.”
He called Mueller’s team “professional” and well-prepared.” Said George was “naive” and “a fool.”
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 7, 2018
Papadopoulos attorney Thomas Breen said he was struck as they were waiting for an interview at FBI’s Chicago office by the photos on the wall of President Trump and Attorney General Sessions: “We were going in there to potentially … cooperate against those individuals.”
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 7, 2018
“The President of the United States hindered that investigation more,” he said. “The President of the United States and commander in chief told the world this is fake news and a witch hunt.”
As Talking Points Memo noted, Breen argued that Trump Jan. 2017 comments to this effect influenced Papadopoulos when he was interviewed by FBI agents. He said that his client was “naive” and a “fool.”
That’s not all, though. Breen lended credibility to the Mueller investigation by calling Mueller’s team “professional” and “well-prepared.”
Breen took it a step further, saying he has seen no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct, “entrapment” or a “set up by U.S. intelligence” through a FISA warrant.
More Breen: “Our firm would in a second stand up if we saw prosecutorial or governmental misconduct. We have seen no such thing. We have seen no entrapment. We have seen no set up by U.S. intelligence people…No reason to believe whatsoever there was a FISA warrant involving GP”
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 7, 2018
The Friday sentencing began at 3 p.m., and Papadopoulos admitted before Judge Randy Moss that he made a mistake. Eventually, the judge took a 15-minute break to decide. Convinced of Papadopoulos’ remorse, the judge sentenced him to 14 days behind bars and 200 hours of community service.
He also slapped him with a $9,500 fine. Papadopoulos had hoped for probation.
Judge sentences Papadopoulos to 14 days jail. Finds him remorseful.
Will pay a $9500 and 200 hours of community service.— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) September 7, 2018
The judge, meanwhile, said there was “no reason to think the FBI bamboozled” Papadopoulos.
Judge Randy Moss emphasized that there’s “no reason to think the FBI bamboozled” Papadopoulos, and he said his lies were not intended to boost Russia but to serve his own self-interest of getting a job in the Trump White House.
“This was not a noble lie,” Moss said.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 7, 2018
Here was Trump’s reaction to today’s events:
14 days for $28 MILLION – $2 MILLION a day, No Collusion. A great day for America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2018
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year, admitting he lied to the FBI about his conversations about “dirt” on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with a professor with links to the Russian government.
Simona Mangiante-Papadopoulos, who has done multiple media appearances in support of her husband, is still hoping that President Donald Trump pardons him.
“Unless Trump is completely incoherent, no one deserves a pardon more than George,” she told Law&Crime’s Brian Ross this week. “George is particularly calm. He wants it to be over. I’m much more nervous than he is honestly. He has told me ‘I want to go there with head held high and demonstrate that I did cooperate.’”
As an aside:
Kiki Papadopoulos, George’s mother, says she was there when FBI agents showed up and requested interview and advised her son to decline and get a lawyer. The lesson, she said: “if you only listened to your mother none of this would have happened.”
— Rosalind Helderman (@PostRoz) September 7, 2018
[Image via Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images]
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