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Trump, Sessions were in favour of meeting Putin during 2016 campaign: ex-adviser

Click to play video: 'Trump says Russia ‘very unhappy’ that he won election, slams Russia investigation once more'
Trump says Russia ‘very unhappy’ that he won election, slams Russia investigation once more
WATCH: Trump says Russia ‘very unhappy’ that he won election, slams Russia investigation once more – Aug 2, 2018

President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions both supported a proposal during the 2016 campaign that Trump meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, lawyers for a former campaign adviser said in a court filing late on Friday.

The account of the former adviser, George Papadopoulos, appeared to contradict the testimony of Sessions to Congress in November 2017 that he had “pushed back” against the proposal by Papadopoulos at a March 31, 2016, campaign meeting.

Trump has said he does not remember much of what happened at the “very unimportant” campaign meeting memorialized in a photo that Trump posted on Instagram of roughly a dozen men sitting around a table, including Trump, Sessions and Papadopoulos.

WATCH: Trump says ‘find some collusion’ in attack on Russia investigation

Click to play video: 'Trump says ‘find some collusion’ in attack on Russia investigation'
Trump says ‘find some collusion’ in attack on Russia investigation

“While some in the room rebuffed George’s offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it,” Papadopoulos’ lawyers wrote in the court filing, which argued for leniency ahead of a sentencing hearing next week.

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Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty in October to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts, has been cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

WATCH: White House uses Putin’s words to reassure Americans on election meddling
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White House uses Putin’s words to reassure Americans on election meddling

Friday’s court filing confirmed reporting by Reuters in March about the apparent difference between Sessions’ testimony and how others recounted his reaction to the proposal at the March 2016 meeting.

“Attorney General Sessions has publicly testified under oath about his recollection of this meeting, and he stands by his testimony,” Washington lawyer Charles Cooper, who represents Sessions, said in an email to Reuters.

WATCH: Trump slams Russian investigation as intel community say Russia still interfering in elections

Click to play video: 'Trump slams Russian investigation as intel community say Russia still interfering in elections'
Trump slams Russian investigation as intel community say Russia still interfering in elections

Outside lawyers for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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