Comey Asks Justice Dept. to Reject Trumps Wiretapping Claim
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, asked the Justice Department this weekend to publicly reject President Trumps assertion that President Barack Obama ordered the tapping of Mr. Trumps phones, senior American officials said on Sunday. Mr. Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is false and must be corrected, they said, but the department has not released any such statement.
Mr. Comey made the request on Saturday after Mr. Trump leveled his allegation on Twitter. Mr. Comey has been working to get the Justice Department to knock down Mr. Trumps claim because there is no evidence to support it and it insinuates that the F.B.I. broke the law, the officials said.
A spokesman for the F.B.I. declined to comment. Sarah Isgur Flores, the spokeswoman for the Justice Department, also declined to comment.
A statement by the Justice Department or Mr. Comey refuting Mr. Trumps allegations would be a remarkable rebuke of a sitting president, putting the nations top law enforcement officials in the position of questioning the truthfulness of the governments top leader. The situation underscores the high stakes of what the president and his aides have set out by accusing the former president of a conspiracy to undermine Mr. Trumps young administration.
Continue reading the main story
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump-seeks-inquiry-into-allegations-that-obama-tapped-his-phones.html?
Wow.
Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)LisaL
(44,973 posts)Just write the letter to congress.
yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)This isn't an AG who met up with Bill Clinton "on a tarmac" while everybody was 'investigating' his wife!
Now he has to defer to the new AG who...wait...uhh...hhhmmm.
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)...so why is Comey suddenly being shy about going rogue?
MBS
(9,688 posts)essentially already publicizes its existence, and in this way, is almost as good as issuing it directly- I would guess that we're going to see the original pretty soon. (The way things are going these days, I wouldn't be surprised if Comey himself leaked this story to the press. .).
What a completely bizarre time.
wordpix
(18,652 posts)I guess this will go to Sessions' deputy, who is also a political appointee. Then who?
I'm surprised Traitor Comey is coming out with this.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)I catch a lot of flak on here whenever I float the possibility, but I retain the possibility that in this situation he may be one of the good guys. This behavior is consistent with him doing his job.
Here is why I think Comey has his white hat on for this game:
Before the BBC and the Guardian confirmed my HeatStreet exclusive on the FISA warrant issued in October, I was a lone voice in the wilderness on its existence.(And may history record that our conservative-leaning website had that scoop). When the writer Jason Leopold of Vice asked if Trump had been under investigation in September he got a GLOMAR response: We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any such records.
GLOMAR responses are named for a submarine and can only be given if a matter of national security is at stake. Mr. Leopold announced he would sue, for why should a concluded investigation be a matter of national security? I told him, with little credibility then and tons now, that the GLOMAR response made sense because there is an ongoing investigation into Mr. Trump and his associates on a matter of national security.
Democrats, including Democrats in Obamas government who ought to know better, have asked if James Comey had a double standard over the investigations into Clinton and Trump. Yes; he did, and he does. He may talk about a criminal investigation. He may not talk about a current, ongoing investigation into espionage, bribery, money laundering and so forth that affects US national security.
Over the summer and early autumn Democrats wrongly stated that the FBI / Comey had said they were not looking into Roger Stone and had declined to investigate Roger Stone, who announced his links to Wikileaks. This came from a Senate hearing and Mr. Comeys testimony to Democrat Rep. Nadler. Rep. Nadler asked if Stones boasts constituted special circumstances, Comey said I dont think so. It must have been frustrating for Comey. He was GLOMAR-ing Congress right to their face and they did not understand what was going on.
Furthermore, although Comey is a natural Republican he appeared to have played it straight. In the summer he cleared Clinton of a criminal standard of negligence. In the fall, he had been sandbagged by Russian moles inside the FBI Field Office in New York. But I do not believe Mr. Comey surrendered wrongly to pressure. He knew the moles had effective kompromat the emails your hacker Nikulin planted or woke and that were he not to revise his testimony in the light of new evidence, his far more important natsec investigation into the traitor, Donald Trump, would be discredited. He then worked around the clock to clear Mrs. Clinton.
Crash2Parties
(6,017 posts)May not technically be treason, but he's still a traitor.
mountain grammy
(26,619 posts)Is it true? I does make sense. Who wrote it?
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 5, 2017, 09:42 PM - Edit history (1)
She's a conservative British novelist, ex-parliamentarian and now citizen journalist. On Nov. 7, 2016 she scooped the story of the FISA warrant being issued, and since then has written four more articles connecting the dots oof this story. She's been consistently ahead of the curve compared to the MSM.
I look on her and ex-NSA analyst John Schindler as the leading people deciphering what's happening with Trump/Russia.
Here's the link to her FISA story:
https://heatst.com/world/exclusive-fbi-granted-fisa-warrant-covering-trump-camps-ties-to-russia/
The blog link to her more recent stories:
https://patribotics.wordpress.com/
And the article The Guardian did on her:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/17/louise-mensch-trump-russia-ties-media-scoop
mountain grammy
(26,619 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 5, 2017, 11:04 PM - Edit history (1)
I read the Guardian article and have been reading some of her tweets. Wow, do I really have to trust Comey? I still want to know what he told the Dems in Congress to get them so mad.
Edited to add, I read the other articles. Thanks for the links.. It all seems believable. haha, typed 'leaks' instead of 'links' It's getting to all of us.
'
deminks
(11,014 posts)Sessions has recused himself and wouldn't do it anyway.
NNadir
(33,515 posts)...politician - a right winger - but he's beginning to wonder if his ass could end up in prison.
C_U_L8R
(45,000 posts)A raging idiot-clown who clearly lost all his marbles,
So the question is, Comey and all people who work in government,
what are YOU going to do about him???
wordpix
(18,652 posts)PLEASE!!!
TomCADem
(17,387 posts)...Russia contacts, but then barely breaks stride to issue a rebuke of Trump's claims that he was being wiretapped at the direct order of President Obama?
Perhaps Trump was trying to set-up a false equivalency where he could say that the FBI did not knock down his spurious allegation that President Obama had ordered that Trump be wiretapped, therefore the allegations of investigations into his affairs were equally spurious.
mobeau69
(11,143 posts)and Obama's holding a royal flush in spades.
poli-junkie
(1,002 posts)Why is Comey chiming in with this information when he's been mum since before the election? Bear with me as I attempt to figure out what's going on:
Comey HAS transcripts of Trump Tower wiretaps. Intelligence Community aware that foreign agents have been directly communicating with residents at Trump Tower e.g. Manafort, Felix Sater. Comey publicly announces there was/is no wiretapping at Trump Tower in order to provide cover for the actual surveillance program that's been underway for quite a while -- like at least 6 months to a year, maybe since 2014. And,
since Comey and the rogue NY FBI agents have colluded with the Trump campaign, Comey is now frantically trying to provide cover for Trumputin by denying such an intelligence program exists/existed because there is a huge mountain of evidence against the Trump cabal.
My head aches; I'm trying to make sense of Comey's action yesterday...HELP!
TubbersUK
(1,439 posts)or his team. So yes, there are transcripts but no, Obama did not wire tap Trump.
That's my reading.
joet67
(624 posts)Don't know.
Or, maybe Comey is now trying to quickly cover his own tracks in some way?
titaniumsalute
(4,742 posts)He said Obama didn't order it.
joet67
(624 posts)edited to add: Most likely, Obama didd *not order it, but knew well of its' existence, probably through briefings. Think back to the way he talked to us, and to Donald during the transition. Both what was said, and what was not said.
rzemanfl
(29,556 posts)bait in a trap that didn't get sprung? Crazy things are going on.
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)rzemanfl
(29,556 posts)Who or what is being protected? Drumpf or sources and methods?
I think Drumpf's campaign was in contact with the Russians regarding causing Hillary to lose. One or more FISA declarations, or the damning info came from the intelligence agencies of friendly powers. Knowing the way Putin works, people could die if this is handled the wrong way. There's way too much smoke for there to be no fire. I think there must be a piece missing and folks are trying to piece it together with this drip, drip business.
joet67
(624 posts)investigation needed on such a grievously serous matter as we have on our hands. Had he lost, it is unlikely we could have ever gotten to the information we are now about to get.
red dog 1
(27,795 posts)before he sent it?
wishstar
(5,268 posts)red dog 1
(27,795 posts)What an asshole!
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)"it insinuates that the F.B.I. broke the law, the officials said. "
What more do the duffusies need to say Obama broke the law and tapped poor itty bitty trump?
TubbersUK
(1,439 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 5, 2017, 07:20 PM - Edit history (1)
Link to tweet
Kate Snow ✔ @tvkatesnow
Sr US official confirms to @NBCNews FBI Dir Comey asked officials at DOJ to publicly reject wiretapping claim by Pres Trump @NBCNightlyNews
10:16 PM - 5 Mar 2017
Link to tweet
ABC News Politics?Verified account
@ABCPolitics
FBI director James Comey asked Justice Department to refute Pres. Trump's wiretapping claims, sources say. http://abcn.ws/2lPFHFh
LiberalLovinLug
(14,173 posts)And getting them back into power. Trump was only necessary baggage to give the GOP the House Senate and SCOTUS. Much the same way i think Trump was looked on by the GOP leadership. And its working perfect as they can stamp all kinds of despicable legislation through in this first month without one network talking about that.
And they will use (are using) the Trump camouflage to destroy the EPA, the Education department, the ACA, dark money restrictions, environmental regulations etc.. until they just cannot anymore when the evidence is just too strong. Then they will allow his impeachment, and of course claim that 'nobody could have foreseen this" and how they are so much better than that.
Meanwhile most of the damage will be already done and irreversible. But the Republicans will be given a new polish, and Comey will be happy and they with him.
wishstar
(5,268 posts)Comey and establishment GOP would love to switch out Trump for Pence
LiberalLovinLug
(14,173 posts)Comey has been working for the turtle all along. Hence the "new" emails release before the election while being mum about the Russia/GOP connections. After Trump won the primary, GOP strategists pivoted quickly to supporting Trump (its just so damn easy for those assholes to just shelve any ethical concerns on a dime). Because they saw his popularity as a vehicle, a clown car, to all squeeze into and ride to another majority.
Turtle boy is giddy now. Because they will be able to milk two honeymoons. They dare not disturb the honeymoon Trump is having with their deplorable base at the moment, by standing up for even basic ethical principles. But they probably predict a time when Trump will eventually wear down his 40% approval to the hard core 20% that will never change. Then they will make their move to allow impeachment and Fox News will join with MSNBC with CNN to praise the GOP for such bold and brave leadership.
Pence will emerge and proclaim that he is more moderate than what he was being portrayed as, and they will , I assume, unveil a new VP, the most appealing populist figure they can find. It will be the New Republican Direction (after decimating important departments and filling up on as much pork as they can eat). And the MSM will be so relieved along with most Americans, that it will be back to business of false equivalencies and both parties are the same narrative.
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)ready to tender his resignation.
dhol82
(9,353 posts)Truly amazed by this but, what it is.
janx
(24,128 posts)Look, I think hes going off of information that hes seen that has led him to believe that this is a very real potential, Ms. Sanders said on ABCs This Week program. And if it is, this is the greatest overreach and the greatest abuse of power that I think we have ever seen and a huge attack on democracy itself. And the American people have a right to know if this took place."
So now, it's IF this took place. Now we switch to A VERY REAL POTENTIAL.
wishstar
(5,268 posts)"this is the greatest overreach and the greatest abuse of power that I think we have ever seen "
janx
(24,128 posts)helpisontheway
(5,007 posts)You did Trumps bidding during the election so deal with it now.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,000 posts)Nunes is the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He's getting himself stuck in the coverup part of a scandal he probably had no part of originally.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,941 posts)We know how that all turned out.
ck4829
(35,069 posts)C Moon
(12,212 posts)Trump made a dumb mistake, and they are trying to figure out how to get out of it, but not make Trump look stupid.
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)offense where I come from.
C Moon
(12,212 posts)BlueWI
(1,736 posts)Day-to-day in DC these days. With a team full of untested newbies and untrained ideologues, what you see is what you get. And underneath it all is the Russia scandal that dwarfs Watergate in its scope. Who's going to finally break the story?? A Pulitzer is waiting along with the satisfaction of moving democracy forward.
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)One problem Mr. Comey has faced is that there are few senior politically appointed officials at the Justice Department who can make the decision to release a statement, the officials said. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself on Thursday from all matters related to the federal investigation into connections between Mr. Trump, his associates and Russia."
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)It is the Department of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions.
wordpix
(18,652 posts)they must be here somewhere....maybe in this broom closet?
Cha
(297,180 posts)yortsed snacilbuper
(7,939 posts)Jarqui
(10,123 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 5, 2017, 11:55 PM - Edit history (1)
Clapper had already stated as much.
Folks in IC would also already know - as would oversight in the Senate by now.
So this short sighted, bogus allegation by Trump is likely to unravel very quickly and come rolling back on the man who uttered it.
Trump has told the world he knows he got wire tapped. What the world is probably about to find out is what Ms Mensch has been trying to say: Trump folks got caught talking to Russians in a wire tap authorized to provide surveillance of Russians - not authorized to go after Trump. That's double bad news because not only are Trump folks caught by authorities in a lie where they claimed they had not been talking to Russians. The Russians they've been caught talking to were ones where a US judge had felt there was enough evidence to go after them with a wire tap. In other words, Trump and/or his campaign staff were talking with Russians US law enforcement suspected were criminals or spies.
How much longer can they avoid a special prosecutor after that news sinks in?
Might be time to take our clothes off and do a little streaking! ...
humbled_opinion
(4,423 posts)Chuck Shumer made a similar statement today on ABC.
lark
(23,097 posts)It's all Drumpf fluffing all the time over there. Recusal, ha!
mahina
(17,646 posts)He can't see himself, how obvious his crime is, and can't fathom how anyone else can tell.
Single-celled organisms are smarter than this guy.