George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign’s former foreign policy adviser, reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wis., on Monday for a short stint in federal prison, after a federal judge rejected a last-ditch effort to delay the sentence.
Papadopoulos, who previously pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents as part of its investigation into Russian election interference and possible links with the Trump campaign, will serve two weeks in the medium security prison.
“Still can’t believe the day I am going to a federal prison camp, mainstream media says am going for my Russia contacts. I have never met a single Russian official in my life. I have, however, met many western intel sources—Joseph Mifsud—who people still call ‘Russian.’ Facts. USA,” Papadopoulos tweeted early Monday morning.
Still can’t believe the day I am going to a federal prison camp, mainstream media says am going for my Russia contacts. I have never met a single Russian official in my life. I have, however, met many western intel sources—Joseph Mifsud—who people still call “Russian.” Facts. USA
— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) November 26, 2018
Papadopoulos was sentenced as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Papadopoulos’ lawyers had asked U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss to put off his sentence as they awaited the outcome of a challenge against the constitutionality of Mueller’s appointment.
But on Sunday, Moss said Papadopoulos “has failed to demonstrate that the D.C. Circuit is likely to conclude that the appointment of the special counsel was unlawful — and, indeed, he has failed even to show that the appeal raises a ‘close question’ that ‘very well could be decided’ against the special counsel.”
In the early stages of Mueller’s investigation, Papadopoulos lied about his contact with Mifsud when he was part of the Trump campaign, as well as a woman who claimed to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s niece.
Mifsud is a Russia-connected professor who told Papadopoulos that Russians had dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Following those contacts, Papadopoulos attempted to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.
On Monday, President Trump took aim at Mueller, and said Mueller’s final report would be full of “statements from hundreds of people closely involved with my campaign who never met, saw or spoke to a Russian during this period?”
[Also read: Alan Dershowitz: Mueller’s final report ‘is going to be devastating’ for Trump]
Papadopoulos retweeted the tweet.
Papadopoulos’ wife, Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos, recently retweeted a message noting that Trump could commute her husband’s sentence. But there has been no indication from the White House that he plans to do so. She was seen hugging him goodbye outside the Wisconsin prison.
“Be Strong as you are my Georgie! This experience thought us unity made us stronger, unity in the adversities and unity against all the unnecessary attacks and division. Life is a matter of priorities, and a united family is mine, our priority and our goal. Much love!” she tweeted earlier Monday.
Papadopoulos, who was the first person to be charged by Mueller, has played what federal prosecutors called last October a “small part” of a “large-scale investigation.”
But since then, Mueller has charged 35 people and companies to date.
A handful of those people have agreed to cooperate, including former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump’s ex-personal lawyer Michael Cohen, and lobbyist Sam Patten.
Cohen and Flynn are both set to be sentenced next month, the former in New York and the latter in Washington.
Two other people charged by Mueller have already headed to prison: Dutch lawyer Alex Van Der Zwaan and California identity fraud salesman Richard Pinedo.
Caroline Polisi, who is now Papadopoulos’ defense lawyer, said in a statement Monday he had decided not to appeal the decision by Moss to deny the stay, and will also remain in his plea agreement.
“Given the immense power of the special counsel’s office and the economic costs to Mr. Papadopoulos of continuing to fight, he will serve his sentence tomorrow and hopes to move on with his life,” Polisi said.
