George Papadopoulos

George Demetrios Papadopoulos
Born:	August 19, 1987 Chicago, Illinois
Charges:	Making false statements to FBI (18 U.S.C. § 1001)
Sentence:	14 days, $9,500 fine
Facility:	FCI Oxford
Status:	Pardoned

George Demetrios Papadopoulos (born August 19, 1987) is an American author and former foreign policy advisor on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. On October 5, 2017, Papadopoulos became the first person to plead guilty in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He admitted to making false statements to FBI agents about the timing and significance of his contacts with Russian operatives during the campaign. Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in federal prison, 12 months of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and a $9,500 fine. He served 12 days at FCI Oxford in Wisconsin. President Donald Trump granted Papadopoulos a full pardon on December 22, 2020.

Summary

George Papadopoulos was a relatively unknown energy consultant when Donald Trump named him as a foreign policy advisor to his 2016 presidential campaign. His role would become unexpectedly significant when it emerged that his conversations with individuals connected to the Russian government—and his subsequent disclosure of those contacts to an Australian diplomat—helped trigger the FBI's investigation into Russian election interference.

In early 2016, Papadopoulos learned from a London-based professor with Kremlin connections that Russia had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." When FBI agents later questioned Papadopoulos about these contacts, he lied about the timing and nature of his communications, hampering the investigation.

Papadopoulos's October 2017 guilty plea was the first in the Mueller investigation and signaled the seriousness of the probe. Though some Trump allies later dismissed him as a "coffee boy," his case demonstrated the investigation's focus on contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russian operatives. His 14-day sentence was far shorter than the six months prosecutors sought, reflecting his cooperation with investigators.

Background

Early Life

George Demetrios Papadopoulos was born on August 19, 1987, in Chicago, Illinois, to Greek immigrant parents from Thessaloniki, Greece. He grew up in the Chicago area in a prosperous family.

Education

Papadopoulos earned a bachelor's degree in political science from DePaul University in Chicago in 2009. He then moved to London, where he earned a master's degree in security studies from University College London in 2010. He later pursued a second master's degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. His master's dissertation examined the impact of regulation on government policies in the Middle East.

Early Career

Papadopoulos began his career in 2011 as an unpaid intern at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. He focused on energy policy in the Eastern Mediterranean region, particularly Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon.

The Hudson Institute later clarified that while Papadopoulos provided research on a contractual basis to a senior fellow, he was "never a salaried employee" and last worked for the organization in 2014.

Papadopoulos subsequently served as director of the Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law and Security at the London Centre of International Law Practice. He also worked briefly for Energy Stream, a London energy consultancy.

Trump Campaign

Carson Campaign

Beginning in December 2015, while living in London, Papadopoulos served on the National Security and Foreign Policy Advisory Committee for Ben Carson's campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He left the Carson campaign in mid-February 2016 when Carson's campaign was faltering.

Joining the Trump Campaign

In early March 2016, Papadopoulos joined Donald Trump's presidential campaign as a foreign policy advisor. On March 21, 2016, during an interview with The Washington Post editorial board, Trump announced Papadopoulos as one of his campaign's foreign policy advisors, reading from a list and calling him "an oil and energy consultant, excellent guy."

"Coffee Boy" Characterization

After Papadopoulos's guilty plea became public, some Trump allies sought to minimize his role on the campaign. Former Trump campaign advisor Michael Caputo described Papadopoulos as a volunteer "coffee boy." However, a photograph showed Papadopoulos sitting at a table with Trump and other campaign officials during a March 2016 national security meeting.

Russian Contacts

The Professor

Shortly after joining the Trump campaign in March 2016, Papadopoulos traveled to Italy where he met Joseph Mifsud, a Malta-born professor with connections to the Russian government. Mifsud told Papadopoulos that Russia had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails."

This information was conveyed to Papadopoulos in late April 2016—before it was publicly known that Russian hackers had stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign officials.

The Australian Diplomat

In May 2016, Papadopoulos had drinks with Alexander Downer, Australia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, at a London wine bar. During the conversation, Papadopoulos told Downer about Russia having damaging information about Clinton.

After the Democratic emails were released by WikiLeaks in July 2016, Australian officials reported this conversation to their American counterparts. This tip reportedly helped trigger the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election—the investigation that would eventually be taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Other Russian Contacts

Papadopoulos also communicated with a woman he believed was a Russian national with connections to the Russian government. He attempted to use these contacts to arrange a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian government officials, though such a meeting never took place.

Criminal Case

FBI Investigation

The FBI interviewed Papadopoulos on January 27, 2017, about his contacts with individuals connected to the Russian government during the 2016 campaign.

False Statements

During the interview, Papadopoulos made multiple false statements to FBI agents:

• He claimed he met the professor before joining the Trump campaign, when in fact he met him after
• He downplayed his knowledge of the professor's Russian connections
• He mischaracterized his communications with the female Russian national
• He claimed the professor was "a nothing" and "just a guy talk[ing] up connections or something"

These lies, prosecutors later argued, hampered the investigation. Because of his "deliberate lies," FBI agents had to "painstakingly piece together facts" by combing through 100,000 emails and eight gigabytes of data.

Arrest and Guilty Plea

On July 27, 2017, Papadopoulos was arrested at Dulles International Airport. His arrest was kept secret as he cooperated with investigators.

On October 5, 2017, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of making false statements to FBI agents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The plea was part of a cooperation agreement with Mueller's team.

Sentencing

On September 7, 2018, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss sentenced Papadopoulos to:

• 14 days in federal prison
• 12 months of supervised release
• 200 hours of community service
• A $9,500 fine

Mueller's team had recommended a sentence of up to six months, arguing that Papadopoulos's "lies were purposeful, calculated and caused harm to the investigation." However, Judge Moss imposed a lighter sentence, noting Papadopoulos's cooperation and relative youth.

Imprisonment

Papadopoulos began serving his sentence on November 26, 2018, at Federal Correctional Institution Oxford in Oxford, Wisconsin. He was released on December 7, 2018, after serving 12 days.

Presidential Pardon

On December 22, 2020, President Donald Trump granted George Papadopoulos a full pardon.

White House Statement

The White House stated: "Mr. Papadopoulos was charged with a process-related crime, one count of making false statements, in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian interference." The statement added that the pardon helped "correct the wrong that Mueller's team inflicted on so many people."

Part of Larger Pardon Wave

Papadopoulos was pardoned alongside 14 others, including former Republican congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, Blackwater security contractors convicted in connection with a 2007 massacre in Iraq, and Alex van der Zwaan, another individual who pleaded guilty in the Mueller investigation.

Papadopoulos's Response

Papadopoulos stated he was "ecstatic" to receive the pardon.

Post-Pardon Career

After his conviction, Papadopoulos wrote a book about his experiences titled "Deep State Target." He has made media appearances and run unsuccessfully for political office in California.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What did George Papadopoulos do?

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign. He lied about when he met a professor who told him Russia had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." His lies hampered the FBI's Russia investigation.

Q: Was George Papadopoulos pardoned?

Yes, President Trump granted Papadopoulos a full pardon on December 22, 2020. The White House said he was charged with "a process-related crime" and that the pardon helped "correct the wrong that Mueller's team inflicted." Papadopoulos said he was "ecstatic."

Q: How long was George Papadopoulos' prison sentence?

Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in federal prison, 12 months of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and a $9,500 fine. He served 12 days at FCI Oxford in Wisconsin. Mueller's team had recommended up to six months.

Q: Who is George Papadopoulos?

Papadopoulos was a foreign policy advisor on Trump's 2016 campaign. Born in Chicago to Greek immigrants, he graduated from DePaul University and earned a master's degree from University College London. He previously worked at the Hudson Institute and as an energy consultant. Trump called him "an excellent guy."

Q: What role did George Papadopoulos play in the Russia investigation?

Papadopoulos's conversation with an Australian diplomat about Russian dirt on Clinton reportedly helped trigger the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into Russian election interference. He was the first person charged in the Mueller investigation and his October 2017 guilty plea was part of a cooperation agreement.

See also

• Presidential Clemency and Pardons