The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Friday he has not seen any proof to support President Trump’s assertion that President Obama illegally wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign, even after a classified meeting with FBI Director James Comey.
“I haven’t seen any evidence whatsoever to substantiate that,” Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told CNN.
The Democratic lawmaker also criticized White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s refusal to talk about his boss’s claims, and for calling one reporter’s question about it “cute.”
“I think when Sean Spicer isn’t even willing to talk about it, you know there’s a real problem,” Schiff said.
Comey has been asked to testify in front of the intelligence committee later this month about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Schiff said Comey is “prepared” to answer any question about Obama spying on Trump. The FBI director has yet to make any public statements about Trump’s claim.
“I don’t see any reason why he can’t answer it. He may even welcome the opportunity,” Schiff said.
Comey traveled to Capitol Hill on Thursday afternoon to discuss with top intelligence clearance not only the wiretap issue, but also this week’s WikiLeaks’ “Vault 7” CIA document dump.
In one meeting, he spoke with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif.; and Schiff. On the Senate side he met with Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C.; ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va.; Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C.; and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va.
Before the meetings Thursday, McConnell also said he had “no evidence” that any U.S. government intelligence agency wiretapped Trump Tower during last year’s campaign.
CNN has reported that a U.S. official says the FBI is investigating whether there is a server connection between the Trump organization and a Russian financial institution.
It is widely believed that the president’s Saturday tweets about wiretapping were a reaction to a Breitbart story, which explored conservative radio host Mark Levin’s claim about “police tactics” the Obama administration used to undermine Trump’s campaign. The article discussed reports about the Obama administration applying for a FISA court warrant to tap Trump Tower in New York City to investigate suspected links to a Russian bank.
