Top Intel Dem to press Comey on Trump wiretap allegations

The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee signaled Tuesday that he intends to use the panel’s first open hearing in its investigation into Russian interference in the election to probe President Trump’s claims that his predecessor wiretapped Trump Tower.

“The president has asked our committee to investigate this and I would say, Mr. President, we accept. We will investigate this,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters Tuesday evening.

Schiff said that he planned to ask FBI Director James Comey directly whether the bureau surveilled either then-candidate Trump or his associates.

“We should be able to determine in fairly short order whether this allegation is true or false,” Schiff said.

{mosads}If the allegations are false, Schiff said, that is an equally egregious scandal — ”the scandal of a sitting U.S. president alleging that his predecessor engaged in the most unscrupulous and unlawful conduct.”

Trump in a series of weekend tweets accused former President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower, something for which committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said Tuesday he had seen “no evidence.”

In contrast to Schiff, Nunes downplayed the explosive tweet thread, blaming it on Trump’s relative political inexperience and a media too eager to take him literally.

“As you all know, the president is a neophyte in politics. And I think a lot of the things he says, you guys sometimes take literally,” Nunes said, referring to the press. ”Sometimes he doesn’t have 27 lawyers and staff looking at what he does.”

The committee on Tuesday announced its first public hearing in its contentious investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, to be held on March 20.

A preliminary witness list, which Nunes cautioned may be modified or expanded as necessary, includes a who’s who of current and former senior intelligence officials linked to the probe — meaning that Comey’s attendance is not guaranteed.

The FBI director has previously rebuffed calls from the committee to brief members on the agency’s reported — but unconfirmed — investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia.

Invited to testify are: Comey, National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers, former CIA Director John Brennan, former director of national intelligence James Clapper, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates and two senior officials from the cybersecurity firm that first put the finger on Russia for the breach of the Democratic National Committee.