George Papadopoulos

By Michael Hernandez,

Washington: Former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in prison Friday after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators.

In addition, Papadopoulos was ordered by a Washington court to pay a $9,500 fine and serve 200 hours of community service as well as 12 months of supervised release.

He is the first aide to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign to be sentenced on charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Papadopoulos pled guilty last October to lying to the FBI. He told the court Friday that he is “deeply embarrassed and ashamed” for lying to investigators.

During sentencing, Papadopoulos’ lawyer, Thomas Breen, reportedly insisted that “the President of the United States hindered this investigation more than George Papadopoulos ever did.”

Trump earlier Friday sought to distance himself from his former advisor, telling reporters on Air Force One “I don’t know Papadopoulos.”

“I saw him sitting in one picture at a table with me. That’s the only thing I know about him,” he said. “They got him, on I guess, on a couple of lies.”

—AA