Key Meeting at Origin of Russia Probe Wasn’t Set-Up, Australian Ex-Diplomat Says

Then-Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer in London on June 29, 2017. Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images

News Analysis

Former Australian ambassador to the UK Alexander Downer has denied that the purpose of his 2016 meeting with George Papadopoulos, then-adviser to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, was to entice the aide to talk about Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.