Australian diplomat’s tip a factor in FBI probe

UNITED STATES: An Australian diplomat’s tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the US election and possible co-ordination with the Trump campaign, The New York Times reported yesterday.

Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australia’s top diplomat in Britain.

Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to The Times, which cited four current and former US and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians’ role.

``The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016,’' the newspaper said.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to co-operate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller ``to help complete their inquiry expeditiously.’' Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. -AP