Rep. Adam Schiff suggested Sunday reports about former campaign chairman Paul Manafort being under surveillance by the U.S. government do not vindicate President Trump’s accusation the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower.
“I can’t comment whether Manafort was ever the subject of surveillance of any kind,” said Schiff, D-Calif. and the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Even if he were, that doesn’t justify or suggest that the president was wiretapped improperly by Barack Obama, so there’s no truth to that.”
In March, Trump tweeted, “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
The claim has been rejected by members of both parties and the Justice Department has said it does not have evidence this occurred. Experts say it is possible that Manafort, who had an apartment in Trump Tower, spoke to Trump while he was being surveilled and that some of his words may have been picked up through a legal practice known as “incidental collection.”
Under U.S. law, the government is forbidden from targeting an American for surveillance unless it can show probable cause the person is knowingly acting as an agent of a foreign government. “No, I don’t think so at all,” Schiff said in response to assertions that perhaps Trump was right in what he tweeted.
The latest findings on Manafort, Schiff said, was a “far cry from the kind of illegal surveillance the president was suggesting.”
