Justice Dept: Obama did not wiretap Trump Tower

WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department said it had no evidence to support the unsubstantiated claim made by President Donald Trump that his predecessor, Barack Obama, had ordered a wiretap of Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.

There has never been any evidence to support Trump’s assertion on Twitter that “Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory”, despite continued insistence from some conservative websites and commentators.

In a court filing, the Justice Department added itself to the list of entities debunking the allegation.

The FBI and the Justice Department’s National Security Division “confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described” by tweets from Trump posted on March 4, the department said.

The filing was in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by American Oversight, a government watchdog group.

Trump Tower, a mixedused New York skyscraper, is home to one of Trump’s private residences and served as his campaign headquarters during the election.

The surveillance claim, which first appeared in conservative media before being picked up by Trump, prompted a rare rebuke by Obama. — Reuters