White House Rejects FBI Chief’s Denial of Wiretapping Claim

Trump has claimed that Barack Obama had wiretapped his offices in New York during the presidential campaign.

US President Donald Trump. (Photo: AP)

The White House rejected FBI director James Comey’s assertion that US President Donald Trump’s wiretapping claims were false. Trump has claimed that then US President Barack Obama had wiretapped his offices in New York during the presidential campaign.

FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department this weekend to reject Trump's wiretapping claim because it was false and must be corrected, but the department had not done so publicly, The New York Times reported.

Rejecting the reports on Comey’s request to the Justice Department, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said:

I have not seen anything, aside from another report based on anonymous sources, that that actually happened. I’m not aware that that occurred. I don’t think that we’re aware that that occurred.

Spicer said on Monday he was almost certain Trump had not spoken to Comey about the President's claim, made without evidence that the previous administration wiretapped him during the 2016 campaign.

Former top US intelligence official James Clapper rejected President Trump's accusation that Obama had wiretapped him even as the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate Trump's allegation.

US Senator John McCain on Monday called for President Donald Trump to release any evidence supporting his claim the Obama administration wiretapped him while probing Russia's influence in the 2016 election.

I think the president of the United States, if he has any information that would indicate that his predecessor wiretapped Trump Tower, then he should come forward with that information. The American people deserve it. 

John McCain, US Senator

(With inputs from Reuters)