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Well, whad'ya know? 'No evidence' that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower

Freedom of Information request to DoJ turns up... nada

The US Department of Justice has "no evidence" that Obama's administration wiretapped Trump Tower, contrary to a much-publicised accusation by President Trump to the contrary.

The DoJ's statement was in response to a Freedom of Information request by the watchdog group American Oversight. "Both FBI and NSD [the DoJ's National Security Division] confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described by the March 4, 2017 tweets," it said (PDF) on Friday.

More specifically the FoI request asked for "All warrant applications or other records requesting a court to institute an intercept of telecommunications or a pen register trap and trace on electronic communications or telecommunications in connection with presidential candidate Donald Trump, Trump Tower (located at 725 5th Avenue, New York, NY), entities housed in Trump Tower, or any person affiliated with Mr. Trump's campaign, whether paid or unpaid, between June 16, 2015, and the present, whether under the authority of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act [FISA]; Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968m as amended; or other authority." It also requested related court orders, records and documents.

The response came on September 1, the Friday before Labor Day, a US holiday. Then FBI Director James B likewise said he had "no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the FBI" in Congressional testimony on March 20 about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

Under the direction of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the FBI continues to investigate possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government. ®

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