DNC says that Papadopoulos' intruder and key figure in Russia could be dead

Joseph Mifsud, the mysterious Maltese professor who played a key role in the firing of the Russian investigation, disappeared from the public eye after his name began appearing in the news.

Now, the lawyers of the Democratic National Committee say that it is possible that Mifsud is dead.

In a case filed in the Southern District of New York, the DNC said that Mifsud "was missing and could have died." The lawyers said they would "monitor sources of information" and "try to serve on Mifsud if when he is found alive. "

The filing took place while the DNC sued Mifsud and other people as part of his trial accusing Trump officials of plotting with Russia in the 2016 elections.

The DNC lawyers did not explain why they thought Mifsud was dead. But a spokesman for the committee said the lawyers were not able to locate him, unlike other defendants in the trial.

"The DNC board has been trying to serve Mifsud for months and has not been able to locate or contact him," DNC spokesman Adrienne Watson told Fox News. "In addition, public reports indicated that he had disappeared and that he had not been seen for months."

While Mifsud is far from a household name, investigators say he told Trump's campaign assistant George Papadopoulos in April 2016 that the Russians had "problems" that could hurt the Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

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During a drink in London, Papadopoulos then spoke to Australian diplomat Alexander Downer about his conversations with Mifsud. According to the story, Downer told US officials, leading the FBI to open its investigation into Russia in the 2016 elections.

It has long been suggested – in court documents filed by Special Adviser Robert Mueller's team, by Capitol Democrats and in the media – that Mifsud could have been linked to the Russian intelligence services. this story.

On Friday, Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in jail after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

According to prosecutors, Papadopoulos' lie prevented the FBI from interviewing Mifsud.

Papadopoulos could not be contacted for comment on Monday. But in court on Friday, he said, "All my life has been upset, I hope to have a second chance to redeem myself."

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The Court's documents from the office of the Special Council described Mifsud as a "professor abroad", who had "substantial links with representatives of the Russian government".

In its report on Russia's attempt to interfere in elections, released in April, Democrats on the intelligence committee described Mifsud as "tied to the Kremlin".

In any case, Mifsud has become an important figure in the Mueller probe.

A statement issued in February by the Republicans to the House Intelligence Committee said that the information provided by Australians about the diplomat's meeting with Papadopoulos "triggered the opening of an FBI investigation at the end of the July 2016 by agent Pete Strzok.

Jake Gibson and Adam Shaw of Fox News contributed to this report.