An influential Senate Democrat has "serious concerns" about Sam Clovis's nomination to be the Department of Agriculture's chief scientist after court filings reveal he may have encouraged a Trump campaign aide to coordinate directly with Russia.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow is the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, before which Clovis – President Trump's national campaign co-chairman – is set to appear next week for his confirmation hearing.

"The emerging information about his role in the Trump campaign’s interactions with Russia raises serious concerns," the Michigan Democrat said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Court filings unsealed on Monday reveal an unnammed campaign supervisor whose description matches Clovis encouraged campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos to pursue meetings between Trump campaign and Russia. The Washington Post reported that the unnamed campaign supervisor was Clovis.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to FBI officials about his contacts with Russians he believed had links to the Kremlin during the campaign, one of the first prosecutions in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

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"As we consider his nomination, I will be looking into these facts, along with his questionable qualifications and long history of divisive and outrageous statements," said Stabenow, who had already opposed the nomination on the grounds that he lacks the necessary qualifications.

Clovis attorney Victoria Toensing said in an interview with USA TODAY that, while the FBI might have intended to refer to Clovis as the unnamed campaign supervisor, Clovis did not make the statements attributed to the supervisor in the court records.

Clovis, a former Iowa college professor who holds a doctoral degree in public administration from the University of Alabama, is already distancing himself from Papadopoulos.

"Dr. Sam Clovis was requested by the Trump campaign to put together a national advisory committee on national security. He did so in March 2016. Among the members was George Papadopoulos who attended one meeting and was never otherwise approached by the campaign for consultation," Clovis attorney Victoria Toensing said in a statement Tuesday. "From Dr. Clovis's knowledge, all Mr. Papadopoulos's communications with the campaign were self-generated."

The court filings reveal Papadopoulos sought "dirt" on Trump's election opponent Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails" from a professor he believed had substantive connections with the Kremlin — months before the Democratic National Committee revealed that its computer servers had been hacked. The U.S. intelligence community has determined the hack and release of the private information was coordinated by the Russian government.

A court document unsealed on Monday in the Papadopoulos case cites a number of Russia-related interactions between Papadopoulos and the campaign supervisor in 2016. Both Papadopoulos and prosecutors agreed they took place.

In early March 2016, according to the document, a conversation took place between the campaign supervisor and Papadopoulos, from which Papadopoulos "understood that a principal foreign policy focus of the Campaign was an improved U.S. relationship with Russia."

The document also cites a March 24, 2016 email sent by the campaign supervisor in response to Papadopoulos' communications about a potential meeting with Russian leadership to discuss U.S.-Russia ties in a Trump presidency. According to to the document, the campaign supervisor wrote that he would "work it through the campaign" but that no commitments should be made, adding: "Great work."

The document also indicates that in August 2016, the campaign supervisor told Papadopoulos regarding plans to make a trip to meet Russian officials: “I would encourage you” and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to “make the trip, if it is feasible."

However, attorney Toensing said, "Dr. Clovis never told Mr. Papadopoulos that 'a principal foreign policy focus of the campaign was an improved U.S. relationship with Russia' because that was not Dr. Clovis's view of the Trump campaign's foreign policy priorities."

Inside the campaign, Toensing added, "Dr. Clovis always vigorously opposed any Russian trip for Donald Trump or staff. However, if a volunteer made suggestions on any foreign policy matter, Dr. Clovis, a polite gentleman from Iowa, would have expressed courtesy and appreciation."

Further, Toensing continued, "there was a strict campaign rule that no one could travel abroad and claim to be representing or speaking on behalf of the campaign. If someone proposed foreign travel in a personal capacity, Dr. Clovis would have had no authority to prohibit such travel."

Clovis has not communicated with Papadopoulos since prior to the 2016 election, she said.

On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Clovis was questioned by investigators and testified before a grand jury in connection with the Russia investigation.

Meghan Cline, spokeswoman for the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Tuesday that Clovis's hearing date has not yet been scheduled.

"We are working on scheduling details and will announce a date for a nominations hearing soon.