Ex-Trump campaign adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI wants to be a congressman


George Papadopoulos, a former Trump adviser whose comments about Hillary Clinton's emails sparked the FBI's Russia investigation, is running for Congress.
Papadopoulos filed the paperwork on Tuesday to run for the seat in California's 25th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Hill. Hill announced on Sunday that she is resigning, after being accused of having an improper relationship with her legislative director; she denies the allegation.
In May 2016, Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat that Russia had emails related to Clinton; after the Democratic National Committee hacking in July, Australia notified U.S. authorities, which led to the FBI Russia investigation. Papadopoulos eventually pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and served 12 days in prison.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are three Republicans already in the race, with Assemblywoman Christy Smith the lone Democrat running. She tweeted on Tuesday: "If he pled guilty to lying to the FBI, how do we know he'll tell us the truth? We deserve someone from our community serving as our voice — not [Trump's] wannabe political hack!"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps up
Speed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless