Abuse of power: Trump wants Congress to probe Obama


President Donald Trump has urged Congress to investigate whether Barack Obama abused executive power in the election campaign, a day after alleging his predecessor had tapped his phones.

His press secretary said the inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the election should also examine the “very troubling” allegations.

Trump made the claims in a series of tweets but offered no evidence.

Obama never “ordered surveillance of any US citizen”, his spokesman said.

Trump, who has been facing intense scrutiny over alleged Russian interference in support of his presidential bid, made the wire-tapping allegation in tweets written from his weekend home in Florida early on Saturday.

He called the alleged tapping “Nixon/Watergate”, referring to the notorious political scandal of 1972, which led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.

His claims sparked Republican and Democrat politicians alike to demand details to back them up. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio was the latest, saying on Sunday that “the White House will have to answer as to exactly what he was referring to”.

But in his series of tweets on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not provide any further evidence.

He said: “Reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling.

“President Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016.”

He added: “Neither the White House nor the President will comment further until such oversight is conducted.”

Trump’s tweets followed allegations made by conservative radio host Mark Levin, including that the Obama administration “sought, and eventually obtained, authorisation to eavesdrop” on the Trump campaign last year.

Other media reports had previously suggested the FBI had sought a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance court (Fisa) in order to monitor members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials.

The warrant was first turned down but then reportedly approved in October, though there has been no official confirmation, reports the BBC.

Under Fisa, wire-tapping can only be approved if there is probable cause to believe that the target of the surveillance is an agent of a foreign power. Obama could not lawfully have ordered such a warrant.

The spokesman for Obama, Kevin Lewis, said the accusation was “simply false”.

A “cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice”, he said.

The statement left open the possibility that a judicial investigation had been taking place.

Some Democrats have suggested Trump’s allegations were an attempt to focus attention away from the Russian affair.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said: “The Deflector-in-Chief is at it again.

Reminds of our own mumu-in-chief Buhari.

Trump is obviously jobless.

Immatex:
Trump is obviously jobless.

The guy is a cracking head.

Congress want to investigate his ties to Russia so he decided to come up with Obama tapping his line to distract everybody.

AntiWailer:


The guy is a cracking head.

Congress want to investigate his ties to Russia so he decided to come up with Obama tapping his line to distract everybody.

No visa for you

CROWNWEALTH019:

No visa for you

They dnt deny Executives visa.

It is still people like you who support him they will deny visa

2 years still dey

AntiWailer:


The guy is a cracking head.

Congress want to investigate his ties to Russia so he decided to come up with Obama tapping his line to distract everybody.

I am tired of that man. He likes trouble pass fight.

Immatex:



I am tired of that man. He likes trouble pass fight.

He is a cry baby.

May be his problem is old age.

AntiWailer:


They dnt deny Executives visa.

It is still people like you who support him they will deny visa

2 years still dey

See the BMC

Obama is the problem, let him allow trump to be. Obama is done with his own tenure, what is he scared of. We're they blind when trump was winning. Trump is true to himself and he never hid his feelings through out his campaign period. That is why I love him.

Trump you have been too lenient

Jail Obama and Hillary

[quote author=peteregwu post=54303699]Obama is the problem, let him allow trump to be. Obama is done with his own tenure, what is he scared of. We're they blind when trump was winning. Trump is true to himself and he never hid his feelings through out his campaign period. That is why I love him.













Many can't see and so they speak from......