George, Simona Papadopoulos return to Capitol Hill; she's interviewed by Senate panel

The Chicago power couple named "Papadopoulos" returned to Capitol Hill on Monday.

George and Simona Papadopoulos-both embroiled in the Russia investigation-today she was interviewed during a secret meeting by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

After Simona Papadopoulos was questioned by Senate Intel Committee members, she Tweeted "I Love America." Her testimony is thought to have focused on her Chicago husband George, once a member of Donald Trump's campaign team. He recently did a short prison sentence for lying to federal agents.

But Monday it was her turn to give her "contribution to the truth" as she put it. It was a private interview with a woman who has become very public.

Behind a pair of dark sunglasses, Simona Papadopoulos arrived on the Hill with her attorney, hand in hand with her husband George Papadopoulos-who appeared to be carrying a coffee in his other hand.

The picture was perhaps an unintended throwback to his days here on candidate Donald Trump's foreign policy team. After Papadopoulos was charged by the Special Counsel investigating Russian collusion, he was called a mere "coffee boy" for the campaign by one top Trump aide.

George Papadopoulos -- the Niles West and DePaul graduate -- will have his day in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee soon.

Monday though it was his wife's turn on the grill. She was also accompanied by two attorneys- for the interview conducted behind closed doors and out of public view.

She has been on a months-long crusade on his behalf-before he pleaded guilty she was a frequent foil for her husband's claim that he was set up by U.S., British and Australian intelligence who were allegedly trying to make it look as though the Trump campaign was a puppet of the Kremlin.

Mangiante Papadopoulos: "I have more ties to Russia than him."

Chuck Goudie: "What are your ties to Russia?

Mangiante Papadopoulos: "No, I was joking. I've been to Russia for work, I have visited Russia, I have a few friends in Russia."

In an interview last June with the ABC7 I-Team, she said that George Papadopoulos had been set up for his work in the Middle East-not because of any ties to Russia.

"I think he was under scrutiny even before joining the Trump campaign because his ties to Israel were suspicious. So he had a target on him because of his work in Israel" she said.

Mrs. Papadopoulos said she was joking by saying she had more ties to Russia than George. But it was no doubt a comment that became the subject of some questions during today's Intelligence Committee interview. Since her marriage and very public statements about the Russia case, she has been beat up on social media by some who claim that she looks and sounds Russian and may herself be a spy...something she says is false and a fantasy-because she is Italian.

The couple recently left Chicago and moved to Los Angeles. George Papadopoulos has a book coming out in two weeks in which he claims to have been targeted by the "Deep State."