Papadopoulos says his lawyers have asked for a pardon from Trump

Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos said Tuesday that his lawyers have asked for a pardon from President Trump.

“My lawyers have applied for a pardon from the president for me,” Papadopoulos said in an interview with Reuters, adding that the request was made a few days ago.

“If I’m offered one I would love to accept it, of course,” he told the outlet.

The White House directed questions about the reported pardon to the Department of Justice, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

{mosads}Papadopoulos served 12 days of a two-week prison sentence last year for lying to FBI agents about his contact with individuals linked to Russia during the 2016 campaign.

He drew scrutiny from investigators during the presidential race after he bragged to an Australian diplomat that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton’s campaign in the form of emails.

On Sunday, Attorney General William Barr sent a letter to Congress revealing that special counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election.

Papadopoulos floated withdrawing his plea deal last fall, but legal analysts at the time said it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to do so given that he has already pleaded guilty and been sentenced.

In a portion of his memoir released earlier Tuesday, Papadopoulos said that he felt forced to accept a plea deal because Mueller’s team threatened to indict him on further charges if he declined.

“I was faced with a choice: accept the charges that I lied or face FARA charges,” Papadopoulos wrote in “Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump,” according to Reuters. “I made a deal. A deal forced on me.”