Trump campaign adviser Clovis met with Mueller: report

A former adviser to the Trump campaign who has emerged as a key figure in the Russia investigation met with special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigative team, NBC is reporting.

Sam Clovis, whom President Trump has tapped to be the science adviser to the Department of Agriculture, was questioned by Mueller and his team last week, according to the report.

Questions have been swirling around Clovis since the Justice Department revealed Monday that George Papadopoulos, a low-level foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty to charges that he lied to federal investigators about his contacts with Russians during the campaign.

Mueller is leading a Justice Department investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including any possible ties between Moscow and members of Trump’s campaign.

{mosads}The complaint against Papadopoulos says that he had been encouraged by his campaign supervisor to pursue meetings with Russian officials promising damaging information on Hillary Clinton.

Several media outlets have reported that Papadopoulos reported directly to Clovis, who faces a Senate confirmation hearing for the Agriculture position next month.

The White House said Clovis would remain the nominee for now.

“I’m not aware that any change would be necessary at this point,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday at a press briefing.