Alexander Downer meeting with ex-Trump campaign aide may have triggered FBI investigation

MALCOLM Turnbull is confident his relationship with Donald Trump will not be jeopardised by the stunning revelation that top Australian diplomat Alexander Downer helped spark the FBI investigation into allegations of collusion with Russia

MALCOLM Turnbull is confident his relationship with Donald Trump will not be jeopardised by the stunning revelation that top Australian diplomat Alexander Downer helped spark the FBI investigation into allegations of collusion with Russia.

The Prime Minister refused to comment this morning on reports the former foreign affairs minister — who is now Australia’s High Commissioner in London — was told by a Trump aide during a boozy night out that Russia had political dirt on Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton.

“The government won’t be making additional comments on a matter that relates to an ongoing investigation in the US,” Mr Turnbull said.

He said he had not spoken to any American officials about the matter, but that it would not damage his relationship with Mr Trump.

US aide George Papadopoulos.

An explosive New York Times report claimed Australian officials later passed details of the drunken meeting to the FBI, kicking off the counterintelligence investigation that has dogged Mr Trump’s presidency.

The revelations are another extraordinary twist in Australia’s relationship with Mr Trump, whose first phone call with Mr Turnbull descended into a heated argument, later revealed in a leaked transcript.

Mr Downer reportedly met Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos at the Kensington Wine Rooms in London after they were put in touch through other diplomats, including an Israeli official.

About three weeks earlier, Mr Papadopoulos had been told Russia had thousands of apparently stolen emails which could be used to up-end Ms Clinton’s presidential bid.

George Papadopoulos was a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser.

Mr Downer’s stint in London is due to end soon. Picture: AP

He shared this information with Mr Downer at the upscale bar, around the corner from Kensington Palace.

The New York Times reported that it was unclear whether the high-profile former politician “was fishing for that information that night”.

About two months later, when WikiLeaks released some of the stolen Clinton email trove online, Australian officials reportedly shared details of the meeting with their American counterparts.

Asked about the matter yesterday, Mr Downer said: “No comment because the matter is before an investigation in  the US.”

His stint in London is due to end soon, when former ­attorney-­­general George Brandis re­places him.

Mr Turnbull said the revelation would not hurt his relationship with Donald Trump. Picture: AAP

Australia’s embassy in Washington re­fused to com­ment, as did Mr Trump’s White House lawyer.

Mr Pap­ad­op­oulos has pleaded guil­ty to lying to the FBI and is now a co-­operating wit­ness in the investigation, which is ­continuing.

Mr Trump’s allies have tried to play down Mr Pap­adopoulos’s role in the campaign.

But the New York Times also reported Mr Pap­adopoulos had been trusted enough to edit the maverick presidential candidate’s first major foreign policy speech.

Mr Papadopoulos then flagged the speech with his Russian contacts, who were pleased Mr Trump was open to improving relations.

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Originally published as Alexander Downer meeting with ex-Trump campaign aide may have triggered FBI investigation