Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 13 March 2017

McCain to Trump: Provide wiretap evidence or retract claim

DEB RIECHMANN ing found. This is McCar- McCain said Trump could
Associated Press thyism!” He continued the “clear this up in a minute”
WASHINGTON (AP) — The allegation against former if he were to call “the di-
House intelligence com- President Barack Obama rector of the CIA, direc-
mittee is asking the Trump in other tweets but offered tor of national intelligence
administration for evi- no evidence. and say, ‘OK, what hap-
dence that the phones at The request for evidence pened?’”
Trump Tower were tapped by Monday was made in The president has an obli-
during the campaign as its a letter sent to the Justice gation to provide evidence
namesake has charged, a Department by the House that Obama broke the law
request reinforced Sunday committee chairman, Rep. or retract his claim, the Ari-
by an influential Republi- Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and zona Republican said.
can senator who says the the panel’s ranking Dem- “I do believe on issues such
president must either come ocrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, as this, accusing a former
up with the evidence or re- D-Calif., a senior congres- president of the United
tract his claim. President Donald Trump, back center, meets, Secretary of Vet- sional aide said Saturday. States of something which
“I think the president has erans Affairs David Shulkin, second from left, with his wife Mer- The aide wasn’t authorized is not only illegal, but just
one of two choices: either le Bari, left clockwise, Trump, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur to discuss the request by unheard of, that requires
retract or to provide the Ross and his wife Hilary Geary, right, Treasury Secretary Steven name and requested ano- corroboration. I’ll let the
information that the Ameri- Mnuchin and his fiancee Scottish actress Louise Linton, together nymity. American people be the
can people deserve, be- with other members of his cabinet and the White House staff, Obama’s director of na- judge, but this is serious
Saturday, March 11, 2017, at the Trump National Golf Club in
cause, if his predecessor Sterling, Va. tional intelligence, James stuff,” McCain said on
violated the law, President Associated Press Clapper, has said that CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Obama violated the law, nothing matching Trump’s Kellyanne Conway, a
we have got a serious issue President Donald Trump as- that Obama had my ‘wires claims had taken place, counselor to the president,
here, to say the least,” Sen. serted in a tweet last week: tapped’ in Trump Tower just but that has not quelled
John McCain said. “Terrible! Just found out before the victory. Noth- speculation that Trump’s said Sunday on Fox News
Channel’s “MediaBuzz that
communications were the House and Senate in-
monitored by the Obama telligence committees
administration. Trump has have agreed to investigate
asked Congress to investi-
gate. and “we’ll make a com-
Early this past week, Schiff ment after those findings
said the committee would are complete.”
answer the president’s call Nunes has said that so far
to investigate the claim. he has not seen any evi-
He also said he would ask dence to back up Trump’s
FBI Director James Comey claim and has suggested
directly when he appears the news media were tak-
later this month before the ing the president’s week-
full committee, which is in- end tweets too literally.
vestigating Russian activi- “The president is a neo-
ties during the election. phyte to politics — he’s
On Sunday, Schiff said he been doing this a little over
doubted there was any a year,” Nunes told report-
evidence of wiretapping, ers this past week.
but that Comey and oth- Other lawmakers also have
ers called to testify at the asked for evidence.
upcoming hearing “would Declaring that Congress
be in a position to have to “must get to the bottom”
know.” of Trump’s claim, Sens.
“I think on March 20 if not Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
before we’ll be able to and Sheldon Whitehouse,
put this to rest,” Schiff told D-R.I., asked Comey and
George Stephanopoulos Acting Deputy Attorney
on ABC’s “This Week.” ‘’I General Dana Boente to
don’t think anyone has produce the paper trail
any question about this, created when the Justice
George. The only question Department’s criminal di-
is why the president would vision secures warrants for
make up such a thing.” wiretaps.q