Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, who served prison time last year, filed paperwork Tuesday to run for the California congressional seat vacated by Rep. Katie Hill.

Papadopoulos, who was a key figure in the FBI’s investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, hinted at the idea of running for the House seat on Sunday — just hours after Hill resigned amid an ethics probe into her alleged improper relationship with a staffer.

“I’m smelling blood in the water now that Katie Hill has resigned,” he wrote.

“I love my state too much to see it run down by candidates like Hill. All talk, no action, and a bunch of sell outs.”

Papadopoulos in 2018 was sentenced to 14 days in prison after he admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

He had learned through a Maltese connection that Russia had access to thousands of Hillary Clinton’s emails — and subsequently tried to use his source to set up a meeting between President Trump, a candidate at the time, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After pleading guilty, he cooperated in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

At least four other candidates have ambitions to take Hill’s former seat — including Democratic State Assemblywoman Christy Smith, who blasted Papadopoulos as a “wannabe political hack!”

“If he pled guilty to lying to the FBI – how do we know he’ll tell us the truth?” Smith tweeted. “We deserve someone from our community serving as our voice – not (Trump’s) wannabe political hack!”

With Post wires