The Australian government and former high commissioner to the UK Alexander Downer have avoided having an inflammatory and embarrassing spotlight shone on them ahead of this week's sentencing of US President Donald Trump's former foreign policy adviser.
George Papadopoulos, 31, faces a jail sentence for lying to the FBI when he appears in the US District Court in Washington DC on Friday.
A meeting between Mr Downer and the then little-known Papadopoulos at a London wine bar in May, 2016, has been credited as one of the sparks that led the FBI to launch an investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election won by Mr Trump.
Mr Downer's name and the Australian government and intelligence services, however, are not mentioned in 27 pages of sentencing memorandums filed by Papadopoulos' lawyers and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors.
Papadopoulos is asking for probation and paints himself in court filings as being loyal "to his master" Mr Trump.
Prosecutors are seeking up to six months' jail.
"Caught off-guard by an impromptu interrogation, Mr Papadopoulos misled investigators to save his professional aspirations and preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master," Papadopoulos' legal team wrote in their memorandum.
The New York Times first reported late last year Papadopoulos told Mr Downer during the London drinks Russia had political dirt on Mr Trump's presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.
Mr Downer later told The Australian newspaper Papadopoulos mentioned to him "the Russians might use material that they have on Hillary Clinton in the lead-up to the election, which may be damaging".
Mr Downer said he reported the "intriguing" information to Canberra "the following day or a day or two" later.
The Australian also reported Australia's ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, passed the information on to Washington.
Papadopoulos' sentencing comes as new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attempts to maintain the strong relationship predecessor Malcolm Turnbull managed to build with the temperamental Mr Trump after a rough start caused by the asylum seeker deal.
Mr Trump has repeatedly slammed the Mueller probe as a witch hunt and disgrace, but he has not publicly acknowledged the Australian government's early role.
Papadopoulos, in his sentencing memorandum, revealed Australia was not the only foreign government he spoke with.
In late May, 2016, just before Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to Greece, Papadopoulos "revealed to the Greek Foreign Minister that the Russians had 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton", his lawyers wrote in their memorandum.
