Breach of diplomatic protocol allowed after ‘tense deliberations’ between Australia and US

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Australian government allowed its former ambassador to the UK, Alexander Downer, to take part in a “highly unusual” meeting with FBI agents in 2016 to share evidence he possessed about Russian meddling in the US presidential election campaign, according to new reports.

It was a breach of diplomatic protocol – which came after “tense deliberations” between Washington and Canberra – that helped to lay the foundations for the special counsel investigation into allegations of collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, according to the New York Times.

The paper had previously reported that in May 2016, Downer had a drink in London with Trump’s then foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, who allegedly told Downer Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton.

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The Australian government reportedly passed that information to US authorities in July 2016 after a cache of emails from the Democratic campaign was released.

On Thursday the New York Times reported that within hours of the FBI opening its investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia in the summer of 2016, it had flown two agents to London to meet Downer for a highly secretive interview, after Australian officials cleared the meeting.

It has not previously been reported that Downer had been interviewed by the FBI.

“After tense deliberations between Washington and Canberra, top Australian officials broke with diplomatic protocol and allowed the ambassador, Alexander Downer, to sit for an FBI interview to describe his meeting with the campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos,” the paper reports.

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“The agents summarised their highly unusual interview and sent word to Washington on Aug 2, 2016, two days after the investigation was opened. Their report helped provide the foundation for a case that, a year ago Thursday, became the special counsel investigation.”

In January the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, did not deny the first New York Times report that information from Downer had helped to spark the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

He said he was not worried that the revelation may damage his relationship with Trump because Australia’s relationship with the US was “in excellent shape”.

“The government won’t be making additional comments on a matter that relates to an ongoing investigation in the US,” he said at the time. “So we’ve got nothing further to add to that.”