George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation, was sentenced to 14 days in prison Friday by a judge who said he had placed his own interests above those of the country, the AP reports. Papadopoulos, the first campaign aide sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation, said he was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" for having lied to FBI agents during an interview last year and acknowledged that his actions could have hindered their work. "I made a dreadful mistake, but I am a good man who is eager for redemption," Papadopoulos said. The punishment was far less than the maximum six-month sentence sought by the government but also more than the probation that Papadopoulos and his lawyers had asked for.
U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said that Papadopoulos' deception was "not a noble lie" and that he had lied because he wanted a job in the Trump administration and didn't want to jeopardize that possibility by being tied to the Russia investigation. "In some ways it constitutes a calculated exercise of self-interest over the national interest," the judge said. Defense lawyer Thomas Breen said his client was affected by Trump's cries of "fake news" ahead of the interview with the FBI and was torn between wanting to cooperate with investigators and wanting to remain loyal to the president. "The president of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever could," Breen said.
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