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WASHINGTON – Former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos said he was looking to hold a summit between current candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin with the blessing of the Trump campaign, especially Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
"The campaign was fully aware of what I was doing," Papadopoulos told ABC's "This Week".
At a foreign policy meeting with Sessions, Trump and other campaign advisers in 2016, Mr. Papadopoulos said that he had told the team that he had a link that could establish a potential summit between Trump and Putin. Sessions "was very enthusiastic" about this idea, Papadopoulos said Sunday.
But Sessions swore in Congress in 2017 that he had "backed off" against Papadopoulos' suggestion to convene a Trump-Putin summit.
"All I can say is that my memories differ from those of Sen. Sessions," Papadopoulos said Sunday.
Sessions' lawyer, Chuck Cooper, said the Attorney General stands by his November 2017 statement before the House Judiciary Committee.
"The Attorney General's sessions have publicly testified under oath of his memory of this meeting, and he stands by his testimony," Cooper said in a statement.
The then candidate, Mr. Trump, was also willing to meet the Russians at the March 31, 2016 foreign policy meeting, Papadopoulos said.
"Candidate Trump nodded to me. I do not think it was done anyway. He was open to the idea. And of course, he fired Senator Jeff Sessions, who was so highly placed, and I remember being very enthusiastic, "said Papadopoulos.
This is the first Sunday of Papadopolous since his conviction Friday at 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI. He is the first Trump campaign assistant to have been sentenced in the Russian investigation by Special Adviser Robert Mueller.
Papadopoulos apologized for his actions, calling it a terrible mistake. He said on Sunday he was trying to get a job with the Trump administration when the FBI started questioning him about Russian connections.
"I found myself stuck between the Justice Department and the President-in-Office and I have in-depth questions that I believe could incriminate the President-in-Office," Papadopoulos said.
"You were trying to protect the president?" Asked George Stephanopoulos, presenter of ABC.
"Of course," said Papadopoulos.
Papadopoulos met with Mueller's team at least four times and said he had "no idea" if the special council would be able to prove the collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
"All I can say is that my testimony could have helped to get things done, but I have no idea," Papadopoulos said.
Trump has distanced himself from Papadopoulos and said Friday aboard the Air Force One that he did not even know the sole adviser.
The president has repeatedly sought to discredit the Mueller probe as a witch hunt.
he tweeted on Friday a response to the conviction: "14 days for $ 28 million – $ 2 million a day, no collusion. A nice day for America!
For his part, Papadopoulos praised Trump's "good work" on foreign policy and avoided making negative comments about the president who dismissed him.
"I really have no opinion on what the president said about my conviction," Papadopoulos said.
But he said that the Mueller probe should be allowed to conclude.
"I think this survey should go through the process," said Papadopoulos. "I do not think anyone can obstruct anything. "
Papadopoulos' blonde wife, Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos, joined the second part of the interview and said that she thought her husband's testimony before the special council would be "important".
"He has been approached by so many questionable characters who will probably lead to a different revelation," she said.
The beautiful blonde said that Mueller's team suspected her of being a Russian agent.
Even George Papadopoulos' said his family was worried about his wife.
"I think everyone has been a bit paranoid over the last year," Papadopoulos said. "And yes, you know, I think they thought she could be some sort of Russian spy. Of course, I have never believed anything like it. I do not think that every beautiful blonde must necessarily be a Russian agent.
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