George Papadopoulos: ‘I probably should have gone to some authority’

Former President Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos said Wednesday that he “should have gone to some authority” when he was told the Russians wanted to help in the 2016 election by offering him thousands of Hillary Clinton’s emails.

“I probably should have gone to some authority when this person told me this information. But maybe it was a good idea I didn’t speak to anyone because as they described in my book, this man is no Russian asset, he’s no Russian agent, and it’s quite obvious that he was working on behalf of western intelligence and his lawyer has said the same thing,” Mr. Papadopoulos said on CNN’s “New Day” show, referencing Joseph Mifsud, the man who he says offered “dirt” on Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee.

Mr. Papadopoulous, who was on the show promoting a book about the alleged sabotage of Mr. Trump’s campaign, also said he was “shocked” when he was approached with this offer.

“I was shocked, and I was horrified. At the time, I thought this individual might have some sort of contacts with the Russians, but he was well-connected to the Europeans and Americans as well,” he said.

Mr. Papadopoulous was the first member of Mr. Trump’s campaign team to plead guilty and serve jail time in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia and election interference.

He told Reuters Tuesday he has applied for a presidential pardon.