US President Donald Trump says he’s ordering a probe into claims Barack Obama pushed for his 2016 campaign to be surveilled by FBI for alleged links to Russia.
“I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!” tweeted Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon.
READ MORE: Stefan Halper – Latest character in Russiagate drama spied for the CIA in the 80s
I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes – and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2018
This week, the New York Times and the Washington Post revealed that an operation, codenamed Crossfire Hurricane, was conducted by the FBI from the summer of 2016. As part of it, an agent, who has since been outed as experienced spy and academic Stefan Halper, was charged with wheedling out potentially compromising information from George Papadopoulis, Sam Clovis and Carter Page, and possibly other members of the Trump campaign. Popadopoulos later pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI over his Russian links.
In the past few days, Trump has claimed that this story is “bigger than Watergate” particularly considering accusations that any agency involvement may have been prompted not only by officials sympathetic to the Hillary Clinton-supporting Democrats, but also on the basis of evidence collected at their behest.
“Reports are there was indeed at least one FBI representative implanted, for political purposes, into my campaign for president. It took place very early on, and long before the phony Russia Hoax became a “hot” Fake News story. If true – all time biggest political scandal!” Trump wrote on Friday.
Reports are there was indeed at least one FBI representative implanted, for political purposes, into my campaign for president. It took place very early on, and long before the phony Russia Hoax became a “hot” Fake News story. If true – all time biggest political scandal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018
Security official have told the media that the use of informants such as Halper is not per se illegal or unusual practice, and some, such as James Clapper, who was Director of National Intelligence at the time of the investigation, claim that such data collection in the midst of a live political race was justified by the immediate threat of Russia’s alleged meddling.
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