Former Trump Campaign Adviser Told Australian Diplomat Russia Had Dirt On Clinton
George Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat that Russia had “political dirt” on Hillary Clinton in May of last year, a conversation that might have played a role in the FBI’s decision to open an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, according to a report published Saturday.
The New York Times reported that Papadopoulos, then a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign, was drinking at an upscale London bar when he told Australia’s top diplomat in Britain, Alexander Downer, that Russia had political information on Clinton.
A few weeks before their meeting, Papadopoulos was told Moscow had thousands of emails relating to Clinton, CNN has reported.
About two months after the meeting with Downer, after WikiLeaks posted hacked Democratic National Committee emails online, Australian officials passed Papadopoulos’ information along to their US counterparts, the Times reported, citing four current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians’ role.
Lawyers for Papadopoulos and Australian officials did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment Saturday.
White House special counsel Ty Cobb declined to comment on the Times’ report.
