Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos begins a 14-day prison sentence on Monday for lying to federal investigators in the Russia probe, according to published reports.
The Blaze reports:
Over the past ten days, Papadopoulos twice asked a federal judge to pause his sentence, WGN-TV reported. The judge who sentenced him, however, denied his requests on Sunday.
Under a plea bargain, Papadopoulos reportedly gave up much of his right to appeal. The judge, Randy Moss of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, said the former Trump adviser could have used other legal tools that were still available.
The federal Bureau of Prisons has scheduled Papadopoulos to surrender at a correctional camp in Wisconsin on Monday.
Papadopoulos, 31, is the third defendant in the Mueller probe to serve jail time. Others include Dutch attorney Alex Van Der Zwaan, who stayed almost a month in a Pennsylvania federal prison for lying to investigators; and California “fake ID salesman” Richard Pinedo, who will remain in a southern California prison until mid-May 2019.
In addition to the prison time, Papadopoulos’ sentence includes a $9,500 fine, one year of probation and 200 hours of community service, according to reports.
Last year, he pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his contact with Russian affiliates during the campaign, including a mysterious European man who claimed Russians had ‘dirt’ on Hillary Clinton.
Papadopoulos repeatedly lied about his interactions with the foreigners, which he admitted in court. In court filings, he accused former Attorney General Jeff Sessions of lying about his interactions on the campaign.
During his sentencing this fall, Papadopoulos said he was “embarrassed” and “ashamed” for his conduct during the investigation. But he has also said on Twitter that he believes he was a victim in a government conspiracy and the investigation was corrupt.
Papadopoulos wanted the judge to place his prison term on hold while an appeals court “weighs the constitutionality of Robert Mueller’s appointment as special counsel,” the report states. However, four lower-court judges have written that Mueller acted appropriately as a Justice Department prosecutor.
In his opinion Sunday, Moss rebuked the idea that Mueller’s work was at odds with the U.S. Constitution.
“Based on the reasoning contained in those opinions [of other judges], Court concludes that the prospect that the D.C. Circuit will reach a contrary conclusion is remote,” Moss wrote.
H/T theblaze.com
