FBI Director James Comey Asked DOJ To Refute Trump's Wiretapping Claim

FBI Director James Comey asked the Department of Justice to publicly reject President Donald Trump s explosive allegation over the weekend that then-President Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap of Trumps communications during the presidential campaign, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Comey said that Trumps claim, which he tweeted early on Saturday without offering any evidence, is false and must be corrected, according to unnamed U.S. officials who spoke with the Times. The Justice Department, led by Trump-nominated Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has not done so yet.

NBC News has since confirmed the story:

NBC News: FBI Director Comey asked DOJ to publicly refute Trump's claim that Obama ordered him wiretapped, a senior U.S. official confirms

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NBC News: FBI Director Comey asked DOJ to publicly refute Trump's claim that Obama ordered him wiretapped, a senior U.S. official confirms
Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March 5, 2017

Staffing issues in the upper ranks of the department stalled Comeys request , per the Times:

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.

The White House did not offer any evidence to back up Trumps claim over the weekend. Instead, on Sunday, it called on Congress to investigate the matter alongside the lawmakers probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

If this happened, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on ABCs This Week, this is the biggest overreach and the biggest scandal.

Through a spokesperson, Obama denied that he or anyone in his White House had ordered a wiretap of Trumps communications. James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, also said Sunday that Trumps presidential campaign was not wiretapped under his watch .

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Trump and Sessions attended a charity event at the presidents private club in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend. According to The Palm Beach Post, Sessions was spotted greeting guests at the estate .

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Trumps private club is located in West Palm Beach, Florida.