Why It Matters

What sets this apart from other events in this investigation is that the person specifically involved in it, Papadopoulos, has pled guilty.

This in and of itself is a crucial point. Unlike all other prior instances when a person has been accused of collusion in this investigation, even if he or she has been arrested, that person has maintained their innocence. However, in this case, Papadopoulos has admitted to wrongdoing — that he, as a prior member of the Trump campaign, met with Russians during the election. While other instances in this investigation have proven the severity of the matter and the stark reality of it, i.e. the indictments of Manafort and Gates displaying the probability of political lobbying on behalf of a foreign entity, this event has shed light on the inner machinations of what happened between Russia and the Trump campaign during the actual campaign.