WASHINGTON (CN) – Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos should begin serving his prison sentence on Monday as scheduled, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office said Thursday.
Last week, Papadopoulos requested the court delay the start of his two-week prison sentence, which is currently scheduled to begin on Nov. 26.
The former campaign adviser, who pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in September, argued that his sentencing should be delayed until the constitutionality of Mueller’s appointment is resolved by a judge in another lawsuit.
That challenge was raised by Andrew Miller, an associate of longtime Trump-intimate Roger Stone.
Mueller’s attorneys Jeannie Rhee, Andrew Goldstein and Aaron Zelinsky rejected Papadopoulos’ request Thursday, saying the former campaign adviser only made the request for “the purpose of delay.”
Papadopoulos attitude has been drastically inconsistent from when he first plead in court, the attorneys noted.
“Following the defendant’s sentencing, he made a variety of public statements that appear to be inconsistent with his stated acceptance of responsibility at sentencing,” the motion states.
“For example, on Oct. 25, [he] publicly tweeted that his prosecution constituted ‘the biggest case of entrapment!’”
On television a day later, Papadopoulos said he was “considering withdrawing his agreement” because he “should not have to serve even one day in jail for something that now it seems was completely orchestrated.”
Papadopoulos also added; “I was framed.”
In November, he again wrote on Twitter: “I have been sentenced to prison in our country while having exculpatory evidence hidden from me. If I knew what I knew today, I would have never plead guilty.”
In another tweet, he lamented: “Biggest regret? Pleading guilty.”
When he entered his plea initially, Papadopoulos told prosecutors and the presiding federal judge he was “standing here in front of the court and you, your honor… to signal to all future and current witnesses in this investigation that this investigation has global implications and that the truth matters.”
Papadopoulos also told the judge at sentencing he was “grateful for the opportunity [he] was given to assist in this investigation” and he had “nothing but respect for the court and the legal process.”
Though Papadopoulos claims the ongoing Miller case translates to a “clear case of hardship or inequity” which warrants a delay on sentencing, the special counsel’s attorneys saw things differently Wednesday.
“[Beginning] to serve a sentence within his contemplated plea range while a legal issue is pending on appeal in an unrelated case does not qualify as hardship or inequity … Here, as part of a favorable plea agreement, the defendant waived his appeal and did not file a timely notice. The defendant received what he bargained for, and holding him to it is not a hardship,” the attorneys wrote.
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