George Papadopoulos, former policy adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, the Special Counsel's Office announced today.
Why it matters: He's another Trump campaign official wrapped up in Robert Mueller's charges. But unlike Paul Manafort's indictment, the charges against Papadopoulos are explicitly linked to attempts at collusion with Russia.
His involvement: In March 2016, Papadopoulos tried to set up a meeting with Russian leadership and the Trump campaign team. He sent an email to the foreign policy team, according to Washington Post, promising a "meeting with Russian Leadership - Including Putin."
Although some members of the team were skeptical of the proposed meeting — including Paul Manafort, who rejected a May 2016 meeting from Papadopoulos — he tried to set up at least 6 meetings with Russian officials and the Trump team between March and September 2016, per WashPost.
Legal details: Papadopoulos' sentence hearing will be set for a later date, per the Special Counsel's Office. He will face up to six months in prison (though the max for this charge could be 5 years) and $500 to $9,500 in fines, according to the DOJ plea agreement.
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