Trump calls for probe into alleged 'Obama wiretapping'
Trump calls for probe into alleged 'Obama wiretapping'
The White House says no further comment will be made on alleged wiretapping of Donald Trump's phones by Barack Obama until a congressional probe takes place.
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Donald Trump accused Barack Obama of wiretapping his phones ahead of November's election [AFP]
US President Donald Trump is requesting that Congress investigate "potentially politically motivated investigations" during the 2016 US election campaign, the White House said Sunday.
The announcement comes a day after Trump accused his predecessor Barack Obama - without providing evidence - of tapping his phones ahead of November's presidential election.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer referred to reports of potentially politically
"President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.
He added that no further comment on the matter will be made.
Trump's accusation against Obama came on Saturday, following a week in which his administration came under increased scrutiny over communications between senior Trump aides and Russian officials.
One such revelation earlier this week was reported by the Washington Post about a meeting between Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
"I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
"How low has President Obama gone to tapp (sic) my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he said in a seperate tweet, referring to the 1974 scandal that unseated President Richard Nixon.
A spokesman for former President Obama has dismissed the accusation as "simply false"."How low has President Obama gone to tapp (sic) my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" he said in a seperate tweet, referring to the 1974 scandal that unseated President Richard Nixon.
Since US intelligence took the unprecedented step of publicly accusing Russia of trying to swing the November election in Trump's favour, questions have swirled about whether some in Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.
But it has now emerged that a slew of associates aside from Sessions and already fired national security advisor Michael Flynn met Kislyak before Trump took office.
The meetings have raised red flags for Democrats, who have called for Sessions to resign and be investigated for perjury.
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