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TThe transcript of George Papadopoulos' private testimony before a joint congressional task force investigating a possible bias in the justice department and the FBI was released on Tuesday.
Representative Doug Collins, R-Ga., A prominent member of the committee, went to the House to record the 239-page transcript.
"In recent weeks, I have published transcripts of Peter Strzok, Bruce Ohr and Lisa Page of the Judicial Committee Investigation into Allegations of Wrongdoing by the FBI and the Department of Justice", said Collins. "I said that I would publish additional transcripts of the survey, and I am here today to keep that promise … so that the American people can reread the transcript of George Papadopoulos. deserves to know the origins of the investigation against President Trump campaign. "
As part of the investigation by special advocate Robert Mueller in Russia, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI regarding meetings and conversations with Russian officials in 2016 and had passed by two weeks in prison in December.
The transcript of his interview with the October House Judiciary and Oversight Committees shows that Papadopoulos explained how he had been trained in the DOJ and FBI's investigation of the then-candidate. , Trump. "I guess I'm happy, ignorant, of, you know, as I said, US-Russian relations and maybe a little too ambitious at the time," Papadopoulos said about from his contacts abroad.
"I was a complete aspirant regarding the US-Russian relationship," he added.
Papadopoulos said he met Joseph Mifsud on 14 March 2016 on suspicion of having links with senior Russian officials, telling the committee that his position on the Trump campaign was not yet public. "He took a liking to me as soon as he knew I would be working on the Trump campaign," Papadopoulos said of Mifsud.
Trump announced that Papadopoulos was serving on his foreign policy advisory council on March 21, 2016, stating: "He is an oil and energy consultant. On March 24, 2016, Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos to Olga Polonskaya, a woman who told Papadopoulos in Mifsud. told him was a family member of a "top Russian diplomat" and perhaps "Putin's niece or the niece of the Russian president."
Papadopoulos joined Trump and other new members of Trump's foreign policy team for a "national security meeting" held at the Trump Hotel on March 31, 2016. Papadopoulos said it was the only one meet with Trump. He told the committee, "I have never been paid for the Trump campaign."
Papadopoulos explained that Mifsud would introduce him to the Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom, but that when Papdopoulos was introduced, it was a different person.
"By the way, there is this misunderstanding about the fact that I met this person because I lied to the countryside about it. I told them that I had just met the Russian ambassador, my good friend, Mifsud, all that. I have never met the Russian ambassador. , just for that to be completely clear, "said Papadopoulos.
According to Papadopolous, Mifsud allegedly told him that the Russians got the emails from Hillary Clinton, but Papadopolous insisted the committee not to hear anything from them either from the Democratic National Committee or WikiLeaks. "He tells me that the Russians have thousands of Hillary Clinton emails," he said. "I've never heard the word DNC … I've never heard the words DNC, [Clinton campaign chairman John] Podesta, something like that … My impression when he told me this information was that he was in the process of validating rumors. Because I did not feel like I heard something so different, like the emails from the Democratic National Committee, WikiLeaks, I did not hear anything like that. "
Papadopolous said about Mifsud: "He had not managed to introduce me to anyone of substance in the Russian government. So he failed, but now he suddenly has the keys to the kingdom about a possible plot in which Russia is involved. "
Papadopolous also spoke about his subsequent meetings with Christian Canter of the Israeli embassy, his "girlfriend," Erica Thompson (whom he now believes to be "an Australian intelligence officer") , and the Australian diplomat Alexander Downer, who was introduced to him. by Thompson. Papadopoulos told the committee that he had not provided Downer with information about Russia or anything else.
On May 10, 2016, while he was at Kensington Wine Rooms in London, Papadopolous reportedly told Downer that Russia was in possession of Clinton emails. Downer passed this information on to the US government, and it is alleged that this meeting triggered the launch of the FBI Trump campaign in July 2016.
"To this day, I do not remember ever sharing this information with this person who, I suppose, triggered this entire investigation. But as I said, I remember many other facets of this meeting, "Papadopolous told the committee.
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