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Trump Is Said to Reject Comey Assertion That Wiretapping Claim Is False Trump Is Said to Reject Comey Assertion That Wiretapping Claim Is False
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump does not accept the contention of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, that Mr. Trump falsely claimed that President Barack Obama had him wiretapped, a White House spokeswoman said on Monday.WASHINGTON — President Trump does not accept the contention of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, that Mr. Trump falsely claimed that President Barack Obama had him wiretapped, a White House spokeswoman said on Monday.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that Mr. Comey had asked the Justice Department this weekend to publicly reject Mr. Trump’s assertions. Mr. Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is untrue and must be corrected, but the department has not released any such statement.The New York Times reported on Sunday that Mr. Comey had asked the Justice Department this weekend to publicly reject Mr. Trump’s assertions. Mr. Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is untrue and must be corrected, but the department has not released any such statement.
A White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was asked early Monday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” whether Mr. Trump accepted Mr. Comey’s contention. “I don’t think he does,” she said.A White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was asked early Monday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” whether Mr. Trump accepted Mr. Comey’s contention. “I don’t think he does,” she said.
“I think he firmly believes that this is a story line that has been reported pretty widely by quite a few outlets,” Ms. Sanders said. She went on to cite several news reports about the F.B.I.’s investigation into links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia.“I think he firmly believes that this is a story line that has been reported pretty widely by quite a few outlets,” Ms. Sanders said. She went on to cite several news reports about the F.B.I.’s investigation into links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia.
George Stephanopoulos, the ABC News host interviewing Ms. Sanders, pointed out that the articles Ms. Sanders cited did not back up Mr. Trump’s claims that Mr. Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped the month before the election.George Stephanopoulos, the ABC News host interviewing Ms. Sanders, pointed out that the articles Ms. Sanders cited did not back up Mr. Trump’s claims that Mr. Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped the month before the election.
Mr. Trump started the controversy on Saturday when he made a series of posts on Twitter that said he had just learned that Mr. Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower in October.Mr. Trump started the controversy on Saturday when he made a series of posts on Twitter that said he had just learned that Mr. Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower in October.
“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory,” Mr. Trump said. “Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory,” Mr. Trump said. “Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”
Mr. Trump added: “This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”Mr. Trump added: “This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”
The White House has not officially said what led Mr. Trump to make the claims.The White House has not officially said what led Mr. Trump to make the claims.
But administration officials have acknowledged that it was primarily based on unverified claims by Breitbart News and conservative talk radio hosts that secret warrants were issued authorizing the tapping of the phones of Mr. Trump and his aides at Trump Tower in New York.But administration officials have acknowledged that it was primarily based on unverified claims by Breitbart News and conservative talk radio hosts that secret warrants were issued authorizing the tapping of the phones of Mr. Trump and his aides at Trump Tower in New York.
On Sunday, the White House said in a statement that Mr. Trump had demanded Congress investigate whether Mr. Obama had abused the power of federal law enforcement agencies. The White House said at the time that it would have no further comment on the matter.On Sunday, the White House said in a statement that Mr. Trump had demanded Congress investigate whether Mr. Obama had abused the power of federal law enforcement agencies. The White House said at the time that it would have no further comment on the matter.
Ms. Sanders said on Monday that she did not know whether Mr. Trump had been in contact with Mr. Comey. “I don’t know that he has gotten a firm denial from the F.B.I.,” she said.Ms. Sanders said on Monday that she did not know whether Mr. Trump had been in contact with Mr. Comey. “I don’t know that he has gotten a firm denial from the F.B.I.,” she said.
Mr. Stephanopoulos asked again whether Mr. Trump accepted Mr. Comey’s contention.Mr. Stephanopoulos asked again whether Mr. Trump accepted Mr. Comey’s contention.
“The president wants the truth to come out to the American people, and he is asking that it be done through the House Intelligence Committee and that that be the process that we go through,” Ms. Sanders said.“The president wants the truth to come out to the American people, and he is asking that it be done through the House Intelligence Committee and that that be the process that we go through,” Ms. Sanders said.
Some Republicans said on Monday that spying was a hallmark of Mr. Obama’s administration, claiming that during his time in office the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups. Other Republicans defended the impartiality of the Justice Department and F.B.I.
“I don’t think the F.B.I. is the Obama team, and I don’t think the men and women who are career prosecutors at D.O.J. belong to any team other than a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales,” said Representative Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, in an interview on Fox News.
“We have certain tools this country needs to keep us safe — and it is great and wise and prudent and legal for those tools to be used lawfully and appropriately,” Mr. Gowdy said, referring to court-approved wiretapping. “If they are not used lawfully and appropriately, there is a paper trail and we will be able to find it out.”
Mr. Gowdy — who headed the committee that investigated the 2012 attacks on American outposts in Benghazi, Libya — said that with the Obama administration out of office, “any information that the current Department of Justice has that suggests the previous Department of Justice acted inappropriately — they are welcome to release it.”