Several questions remain about who George Papadopoulos is, what role he played in the Trump campaign, and what led to his eventual indictment over contacts with Russians.
It was reported Monday that Papadopoulos plead guilty Oct. 5 after lying to the FBI about his communications with Russians. Also indicted Monday were former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates.
Papadopoulos was a campaign volunteer who, according to Politico, tried to connect the Trump campaign with the Russian government. The website reported that when Papadopoulos first sat down with Trump and other officials during an early 2016 meeting, he boasted about having connections "that could help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin."
Politico also reported that documents show Trump campaign officials talked with Papadopoulos about his offer to connect Trump with Putin. Papadopoulos reportedly communicated with Russian contacts at its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Papadopoulos requested to travel to Russia and other locations on behalf of the campaign several times, but each time he was ultimately turned down.
Court documents made public Monday said Papadopoulos cooperated with investigators in recent months as they delve into allegations the Trump campaign might have colluded with Russia, which raises the question of whether Papadopoulos worked for the FBI in a clandestine basis — wearing a wire, for example — in exchange for lower charges.