The wife of former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos will no longer appear before the House Intelligence Committee on July 18.
Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos told the Washington Examiner she originally accepted an invitation from Democrats on the House intel panel to testify in lieu of her husband, who is under a gag order. But she was informed late Wednesday by aides to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the ranking member on the committee, that they would no longer be able to cover travel expenses incurred during her trip from Chicago to Washington, D.C.
The change of plans followed Republicans on the panel refusing to reimburse her transportation costs, Politico reported Wednesday.
Papadopoulos, however, was optimistic that she would eventually have an opportunity to speak to congressional investigators about her husband.
“Logistics are a temporary problem. When there is a will there is a way. I will try my best to go to #Capitolhill and testify,” she tweeted.
Logistics are a temporary problem. When there is a will there is a way. I will try my best to go to #Capitolhill and testify.
— Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos (@simonamangiante) July 12, 2018
A spokesperson for Schiff did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in October to one count of making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Joseph Mifsud, a professor, during the 2016 campaign.
George Papadopoulos’ indictment stemmed from special counsel Robert Mueller’s federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election and potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Papadopoulos’ guilty plea was accepted in exchange for his continued cooperation with Mueller’s probe.
Mueller took over the Russia investigation from the FBI in May 2017. The FBI reportedly opened its probe after George Papadopoulos told Australia’s top diplomat to the U.K. before the election that Kremlin-linked associates had damaging information on Hillary Clinton.
Editor’s note: This article previously incorrectly identified the professor Papadopoulos contacted during the 2016 campaign.
