Rep. Jason Chaffetz on Tuesday dismissed press reports that say FBI Director James Comey has been trying to delegitimize President Trump’s charge that President Obama ordered a wiretap on Trump’s phones.
Several reports over the weekend and on Monday said Comey asked Trump’s Justice Department to publicly reject Trump’s claims. CNN reported Tuesday that Comey was “incredulous” at Trump’s charges.
But on CNN, Chaffetz said he has no reason to believe those reports.
“I hear these reports about what he believes and what he says,” Chaffetz said. “I find them with little to no credibility.”
Chaffetz said the House would investigate Trump’s claims, and that the effort would be led by the House Intelligence Committee.
The panel he chairs, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will play a “supporting role,” he said.
He said the process has just started, and that he tried to reach Comey over the weekend, but got no reply.
“No response,” Chaffetz said. “That’s not atypical, I mean, that’s not out of the ordinary. Sometimes he calls me back, sometimes he doesn’t.
“He has been very accessible to members of Congress,” he added. “He was just up on Capitol Hill talking to the House Intelligence Committee. Again, they’re in the best position.”
