Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 14:48:28 GMT -5
Mysterious European professor entangled in the Trump-Russia probe has seemingly disappeared
www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/professor-tangled-trump-russia-probe-seemingly-disappeared-article-1.3845014
February 27, 2018
A Maltese professor at the center of the U.S. investigation into Russian election interference appears to have dropped off the face of the earth.
The shadowy professor, Joseph Mifsud, first made headlines when his name was listed in court records unsealed by special counsel Robert Mueller last fall. According to the records, Mifsud told ex-Trump adviser George Papadopoulos in April 2016 that the Russian government had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton and stolen thousands of emails from Democratic National Committee servers.
Since then, Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and is now cooperating with Mueller's probe. Mifsud, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found.
After Mueller's revelations, Mifsud's name was scrubbed from the website of an Italian university he used to teach at, and he abruptly quit his job at another university. His social media pages went dead and journalists attempting to reach him or his associates have struck out.
Papadopoulos’ fiancée tries proving he was vital to 2016 election
But, in extensive interviews with BuzzFeed News, Mifsud's fiancée has given the first glimpses of what type of person the enigmatic professor is.
The fiancée, a 31-year-old Ukrainian woman who only identified herself as Anna, said Mifsud cut all ties with her after his name started making international headlines. Anna, who was seven months pregnant at the time, became furious.
"He never helped me," she said. "Only talk and promises."
Anna alleges that Mifsud, 57, has ties to the very top tiers of the Russian government. He used to boast about dining with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she said.
Papadopoulos claims of Russia's Clinton dirt prompted FBI probe
"He said, 'I have dinner with Lavrov tonight. Lavrov is my friend. Lavrov this, Lavrov that," Anna said. "He even showed me picture with Lavrov."
Russia's Foreign Ministry did not return emailed questions from the Daily News about Anna's allegations.
Anna also said Mifsud was questioned by the FBI in April 2017. "He said they wanted to talk about connections he set up between people in Britain and Russia," she said.
"He said his phone was probably being checked," she added.
Papadopoulos’ fiancée says he was more than just a ‘coffee boy’
Since Mifsud appears to have gone off the grid, attempts at corroborating those claims have proven unsuccessful. The FBI and the special counsel's office declined to comment.
www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/professor-tangled-trump-russia-probe-seemingly-disappeared-article-1.3845014
February 27, 2018
A Maltese professor at the center of the U.S. investigation into Russian election interference appears to have dropped off the face of the earth.
The shadowy professor, Joseph Mifsud, first made headlines when his name was listed in court records unsealed by special counsel Robert Mueller last fall. According to the records, Mifsud told ex-Trump adviser George Papadopoulos in April 2016 that the Russian government had obtained "dirt" on Hillary Clinton and stolen thousands of emails from Democratic National Committee servers.
Since then, Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and is now cooperating with Mueller's probe. Mifsud, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found.
After Mueller's revelations, Mifsud's name was scrubbed from the website of an Italian university he used to teach at, and he abruptly quit his job at another university. His social media pages went dead and journalists attempting to reach him or his associates have struck out.
Papadopoulos’ fiancée tries proving he was vital to 2016 election
But, in extensive interviews with BuzzFeed News, Mifsud's fiancée has given the first glimpses of what type of person the enigmatic professor is.
The fiancée, a 31-year-old Ukrainian woman who only identified herself as Anna, said Mifsud cut all ties with her after his name started making international headlines. Anna, who was seven months pregnant at the time, became furious.
"He never helped me," she said. "Only talk and promises."
Anna alleges that Mifsud, 57, has ties to the very top tiers of the Russian government. He used to boast about dining with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she said.
Papadopoulos claims of Russia's Clinton dirt prompted FBI probe
"He said, 'I have dinner with Lavrov tonight. Lavrov is my friend. Lavrov this, Lavrov that," Anna said. "He even showed me picture with Lavrov."
Russia's Foreign Ministry did not return emailed questions from the Daily News about Anna's allegations.
Anna also said Mifsud was questioned by the FBI in April 2017. "He said they wanted to talk about connections he set up between people in Britain and Russia," she said.
"He said his phone was probably being checked," she added.
Papadopoulos’ fiancée says he was more than just a ‘coffee boy’
Since Mifsud appears to have gone off the grid, attempts at corroborating those claims have proven unsuccessful. The FBI and the special counsel's office declined to comment.
