Former Trump aide Papadopoulos goes to jail today

WASHINGTON — George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign aide whose guilty plea last year was the first obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller, must begin serving a two-week jail term today, a federal judge ruled.

Papadopoulos had asked U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington to delay his incarceration pending the outcome of another man’s challenge to the legality of Mueller’s appointment, now before a federal appeals court. The special counsel opposed the request, arguing Papadopoulos had surrendered his right to appeal as part of his plea deal with prosecutors and had offered no legal basis to justify a postponement.

Moss denied Papadopoulos’ ex-aide’s request Sunday, The judge said Papadopoulos agreed not to appeal the sentence and can’t rely on the outcome of an appeal he’s not a part of. He also waited until the last minute requesting the postponement, not giving the court sufficient time to review the case, the judge said.

“Papadopoulos waited until the eleventh hour to seek relief; indeed, he did not file his second motion — the stay request — until the last business day before he was scheduled to surrender to serve his sentence,” Moss wrote. “Papadopoulos has not identified any extenuating circumstances — nor is the court aware of any — that would overcome the presumption against granting such an eleventh-hour stay.”