The government pointed to the need for deterrence in pushing for up to a six-month prison sentence for Mr. Papadopoulos. Prosecutors argued that others in a similar position could view a sentence of probation for lying to the government as being akin to a speeding ticket. The special counsel’s office said his “crime was serious and caused damage to the government’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.”

The defense, on the other hand, asked for a term of probation that would end at the conclusion of Mr. Papadopoulos’s sentencing hearing. His lawyers portrayed him as a pawn in a much larger case. They claimed that “to say George was out of his depth would be a gross understatement.” They argued that he “has already served the equivalent of one year of probation” because he had been under court supervision since his arrest in 2017, and that the cost of being a felon would be felt for the rest of his life.

In the end, Mr. Papadopoulos received a sentence that will cost him only two weeks behind bars, a $9,500 fine and community service.

Assessing the impact of the misconduct can be difficult when the government, not an individual, is the victim. Prosecutors must act as the reflection of the community, but it can be difficult to articulate the impact of that harm.

The sentencing of Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Mr. Trump’s campaign, will highlight how prosecutors often focus on victims other than the government in seeking a prison term.

Mr. Manafort was convicted of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failing to disclose a foreign bank account. Unlike tax charges, which many slough off as a product of an unfair system, misleading a bank can result in a significant prison term. Bank fraud has the potential to harm a financial system supported by federal deposit insurance, and thus put taxpayers at risk of bearing any losses. Prosecutors will likely point to those convictions as the basis for imposing a substantial punishment.

The defense is likely to counter that Mr. Manafort was unfairly singled out by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, and that the court should sentence Mr. Manafort to probation or, at most, a short period of incarceration.