The White House called on Congress to investigate whether former President Barack Obama ordered the Republican campaign headquarters in Trump Tower to be wiretapped during the election Sunday.
The move comes one day after President Donald Trump took to Twitter alleging the wiretapping took place, comparing the situation to Watergate.
Is it legal for a sitting President to be “wire tapping” a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
I’d bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the alleged move is concerning, calling on lawmakers to look into the matter.
“Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling,” Spicer said. “President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.”
House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi accused the president of fabricating the claims against Obama to distract from Trump’s alleged ties with Russia.
“What do the Russians have on Donald Trump?” she said during an appearance on CNN’s “Face the Nation.”
A federal court would need to approve any wiretap under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, USA Today reports.
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