A former top Trump campaign official, who supervised a man now cooperating with the FBI's Russia investigation, has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team, NBC News reported.
Sam Clovis, who is President Donald Trump's pick to be the Department of Agriculture's chief scientist, answered questions last week and testified before the investigating grand jury.
In court documents unsealed Monday, it was disclosed there were emails between George Papadopoulos — a low-level foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign who's pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russians — and an unnamed "campaign supervisor."
The supervisor responded "great work" after Papadopoulos discussed his interactions with Russians who wanted to arrange a meeting with Trump and Russian leaders, the documents show, NBC News reported.
Clovis's lawyer, Victoria Toensing, confirmed to NBC News that the supervisor was Clovis.
According to NBC News, the unsealed court documents show Papadopoulos told Clovis about his efforts to organize an "off the record" meeting with Russian officials.
"I would encourage you" and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to "make the trip, if it is feasible," Clovis responded, NBC News reported.
Clovis now serves as an unpaid White House adviser to the Agriculture Department as he awaits Senate confirmation for job as the department's chief scientist.
Clovis, a climate skeptic, is not a scientist.
The White House said Clovis would remain the nominee for now.
"I'm not aware that any change would be necessary at this point," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday at a press briefing, The Hill reported.
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