A Modern-Day Watergate? Lawmakers Launch Probe of Wiretapping Allegations

Did the Obama administration wiretap Donald Trump's presidential campaign? Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, offers his insights on this issue and more on The 700 Club.

It's a potential scandal that could be just as bad as Nixon and Watergate.

President Donald Trump took to Twitter again -- this time accusing former President Barack Obama of eavesdropping on his presidential campaign.

Is it possible there were wiretaps at Trump Tower? Very possible. I don't know. Here's what I do know: that there are leaks within this government, and theses leaks are what's causing this story and what's causing this speculation.

--Jay Sekulow, ACLJ chief counsel

Trump started the political firestorm over the weekend when he tweeted, "Terrible! just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

The president likened the tactic to Nixon and Watergate and called the former president a "bad (or sick) guy."

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, who is often critical of Trump, recently refuted the president's allegations on NBC's "Meet the Press."  

"For the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate or against his campaign," Clapper said.

The fact of the matter is there is existing within these agencies what we call a shadow government... that is getting information out, and they're leaking information...  

--Jay Sekulow, ACLJ chief counsel

The media quickly said the president didn't offer any evidence for his claim. So where did Trump get his information – from an intelligence briefing or news reports?
 
Some believe it came from a Breitbart News story and claims made by conservative talk show host Mark Levin.

"How many of Trump's people were eavesdropped on? How many had their conversations intercepted, recorded, transcribed? Because this, ladies and gentlemen, is the big scandal," Levin insisted.

Levin, who worked as chief of staff for former Attorney General Ed Meese, tweeted a detailed list of links to stories from the major news media to back up his claims.

They include reports about federal FISA court warrants allowing the FBI to conduct surveillance on Trump campaign officials.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, President Trump received some push back from members of his own party.

"I have never heard that allegation made before by anybody," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

On CBS's "Face the Nation," Senate Intelligence Committee member Susan Collins said she has seen no evidence of what the president has alleged.
 
"It would probably be helpful if he gave more information, but it also might be helpful if he just didn't comment further and allowed us to do our work," said Sen. Collins, R-Maine.

The Senate panel's work also includes investigating alleged Russian meddling in last fall's presidential campaign.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, also on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told "Fox News Sunday's" Chris Wallace he has "seen no evidence" that the Trump campaign successfully conspired with the Russian government to defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

"Media reports have gotten pretty far over their skis on this," Cotton charged.

Clapper also said the U.S. intelligence agencies didn't have any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians while he was in the government.

The president's wiretap allegations are now likely to be included in congressional investigations of possible Russian interference in the presidential campaign.
 
And Democrats are unlikely to let go of any possible Trump campaign ties to the Russians. So far, however, there's still no evidence to support those allegations.