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In a Repudiation of Trump, a Senior House Leader Rejects Wiretap Claim In a Repudiation of Trump, a Senior House Leader Rejects Wiretap Claim
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — In a striking repudiation of President Trump, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a Republican, said on Wednesday that he had seen no indication of Mr. Trump's claim on Twitter that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.WASHINGTON — In a striking repudiation of President Trump, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a Republican, said on Wednesday that he had seen no indication of Mr. Trump's claim on Twitter that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“We don’t have any evidence that that took place,’’ Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. “In fact, I don’t believe — in the last week of time, people we’ve talked to, I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.”“We don’t have any evidence that that took place,’’ Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. “In fact, I don’t believe — in the last week of time, people we’ve talked to, I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.”
If Mr. Trump’s Twitter claim is to be taken literally, Mr. Nunes said, “then clearly the president is wrong.”If Mr. Trump’s Twitter claim is to be taken literally, Mr. Nunes said, “then clearly the president is wrong.”
Even a member of Mr. Trump’s cabinet, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, raised questions about the claim. In Richmond, Va., he told reporters that he had never given Mr. Trump any reason to believe he had been wiretapped.Even a member of Mr. Trump’s cabinet, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, raised questions about the claim. In Richmond, Va., he told reporters that he had never given Mr. Trump any reason to believe he had been wiretapped.
Other top Republicans were threatening to block Mr. Trump’s nominee for deputy attorney general if the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not provide evidence related to the possible wiretapping.Other top Republicans were threatening to block Mr. Trump’s nominee for deputy attorney general if the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not provide evidence related to the possible wiretapping.
Mr. Nunes and Representative Adam Schiff of California, the intelligence committee’s ranking Democrat, said the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, would testify Monday at the committee’s first public hearing on its Russian interference investigation. Mr. Comey could presumably resolve the question about the wiretap.Mr. Nunes and Representative Adam Schiff of California, the intelligence committee’s ranking Democrat, said the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, would testify Monday at the committee’s first public hearing on its Russian interference investigation. Mr. Comey could presumably resolve the question about the wiretap.
Mr. Schiff also challenged the statements of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, who had said that while he was not aware of any investigation targeting Mr. Trump, the president spoke accurately when he said he had been wiretapped by Mr. Obama.Mr. Schiff also challenged the statements of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, who had said that while he was not aware of any investigation targeting Mr. Trump, the president spoke accurately when he said he had been wiretapped by Mr. Obama.
“Those two things cannot both be true unless he is suggesting that the F.B.I. was engaged in a rogue operation unsupervised by a court to wiretap Trump Tower,” Mr. Schiff said. “There is absolutely no evidence of that and no suggestion of any evidence of that.”“Those two things cannot both be true unless he is suggesting that the F.B.I. was engaged in a rogue operation unsupervised by a court to wiretap Trump Tower,” Mr. Schiff said. “There is absolutely no evidence of that and no suggestion of any evidence of that.”
In another sign of pressure, Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he would block the nomination of Rod J. Rosenstein to be deputy attorney general unless the F.B.I. answered his questions. Mr. Rosenstein has been expected to easily win Senate confirmation. The Judiciary Committee has primary oversight of the F.B.I. In another sign of pressure, Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he would block the nomination of Rod J. Rosenstein to be deputy attorney general unless the F.B.I. answered his questions. Mr. Rosenstein had been expected to win Senate confirmation easily. The Judiciary Committee has primary oversight of the F.B.I.
The F.B.I. is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election. As part of that case, agents are looking at whether any of Mr. Trump’s associates colluded with the Russian government.The F.B.I. is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election. As part of that case, agents are looking at whether any of Mr. Trump’s associates colluded with the Russian government.
After Mr. Trump made the claim on March 4 in a Twitter message that President Barack Obama had tapped his telephone, Mr. Comey, asked the Justice Department to make a statement disputing Mr. Trump’s assertion.After Mr. Trump made the claim on March 4 in a Twitter message that President Barack Obama had tapped his telephone, Mr. Comey, asked the Justice Department to make a statement disputing Mr. Trump’s assertion.
So far, the Justice Department has refused to say publicly whether it went to a judge to get a secret warrant to eavesdrop on Mr. Trump, putting the department in a difficult position. Silence from the Justice Department has frustrated Mr. Comey.So far, the Justice Department has refused to say publicly whether it went to a judge to get a secret warrant to eavesdrop on Mr. Trump, putting the department in a difficult position. Silence from the Justice Department has frustrated Mr. Comey.
If the Justice Department says there was no wiretap, it undercuts the president’s accusation. If there was a wiretap, it suggests that F.B.I. agents and federal prosecutors had probable cause to believe that Mr. Trump the candidate was operating as an agent of a foreign power.If the Justice Department says there was no wiretap, it undercuts the president’s accusation. If there was a wiretap, it suggests that F.B.I. agents and federal prosecutors had probable cause to believe that Mr. Trump the candidate was operating as an agent of a foreign power.
It is not clear why Mr. Trump thought he was wiretapped or what led him to make the claim, which was flatly rejected by James R. Clapper Jr., a former director of national intelligence, and by a spokesman for Mr. Obama.It is not clear why Mr. Trump thought he was wiretapped or what led him to make the claim, which was flatly rejected by James R. Clapper Jr., a former director of national intelligence, and by a spokesman for Mr. Obama.
Mr. Graham and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, asked the F.B.I. last week for copies of any warrant applications and court orders “related to wiretaps of President Trump, the Trump Campaign, or Trump Tower.”Mr. Graham and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, asked the F.B.I. last week for copies of any warrant applications and court orders “related to wiretaps of President Trump, the Trump Campaign, or Trump Tower.”
On Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said during an appearance on CNN that he would also subpoena the F.B.I. to get the information if necessary.On Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said during an appearance on CNN that he would also subpoena the F.B.I. to get the information if necessary.
“I want to get to the bottom of it,” Mr. Graham said. “The F.B.I. would know if a warrant was issued. They would know if a warrant was applied for. I want to answer that question.”“I want to get to the bottom of it,” Mr. Graham said. “The F.B.I. would know if a warrant was issued. They would know if a warrant was applied for. I want to answer that question.”
A delay on Mr. Rosenstein appointment would create a number of problems for the Justice Department. In particular, he was expected to oversee any department investigations into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election after Mr. Sessions recused himself because Mr. Sessions was an adviser to the Trump presidential campaign. A delay on Mr. Rosenstein’s appointment would create a number of problems for the Justice Department. In particular, he was expected to oversee any department investigations into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election after Mr. Sessions recused himself because Mr. Sessions was an adviser to the Trump presidential campaign.