When news of George Papadopoulos’s plea deal with special prosecutor Robert Mueller broke, Trumpworld was quick to distance itself from the former foreign-policy adviser. Donald Trump described him as a “low-level volunteer” and “known liar,” and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders cast him as a bit player in the campaign who went rogue. But perhaps his most lasting epithet was concocted by campaign adviser Michael Caputo, who called him a “coffee boy.” That narrative has grown shakier as further details have emerged of Papadopoulos’s campaign activities, however, which included meeting with foreign leaders as a representative for the Trump campaign. And in an interview, Papadopoulos’s fiancée, Simona Mangiante, described his role as much more significant.

“He was constantly in touch with high-level officials in the campaign and he never took any initiative, as far as I know, unauthorized,” she told the ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, adding that he always had “the blessing of the campaign.” She said that those with whom Papadopoulos remained in constant contact included Steve Bannon, who served as Trump’s campaign manager and White House senior strategist, and Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who has since pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. When asked whether Papadopoulos could support her claims, Mangiante responded, “Absolutely, yes,” and that she had seen the e-mails exchanged between them. (Bannon and a lawyer for Flynn did not respond to ABC’s request for comment.) She also pushed back at the coffee-boy characterization: “I would love George to learn how to make a coffee, because it’s absolutely out of his skills,” she said.

Mangiante characterized Papadopoulos as the “first domino in Russiagate” and insisted that her fiancé is “very brave” and a “patriot” for cooperating with the F.B.I. in the ongoing investigation. “He is already on the right side of history. I think he will make a big difference. . . . His contribution will be very important,” she said. According to Mangiante, Papadopoulos is working on a book about the Trump campaign and the Russia saga to share “his side of the story.” Trump will “not be happy to read that there [is] consistent evidence that he was not a coffee boy,” she added.

An Italian citizen, Mangiante was also interviewed by Mueller after Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the F.B.I. about his Russian connections. Coincidentally, she met Papadopoulos through Joseph Mifsud, the professor cited in court documents as having “substantial connections to Russian officials” who informed Papadopoulos that the Kremlin had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. (Mifsud has denied any wrongdoing.)