FBI Director James Comey told officials at the Department of Justice that he wants them to reject President Donald Trump’s claims that former President Obama had Trump’s phones and servers tapped during the 2016 election. But the DOJ may have no one to help clear up the matter.
In a move that Trump will no doubt see as a betrayal, Comey contended Sunday that Trump’s allegations are false, and that the FBI did not violate the law – or Donald Trump’s privacy.
But Comey can’t speak for the DOJ, and with Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself on matters involving Russia, there’s no one to answer his request. This has led to even more confusion over whether the Trump campaign’s telephones and servers were watched during the Presidential campaign for evidence that Russia was trying to interfere in the American elections.
For Comey, it’s an interesting turn of events. Last week, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee were accusing Comey of covering up for Donald Trump, and withholding critical information on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s communications with a Russian ambassador.
Sunday, Comey was openly rebuking the White House’s wiretapping claims, suggesting that Comey and the FBI did not conduct a serious investigation into Trump’s Russian ties during the campaign or, less likely, that the DOJ acted by itself.
The DOJ may apply to get FISA warrants, but the FBI keeps complete records of its own, and Comey should know enough about any pending DOJ investigation to confidently rebuff the President’s allegations.
But Comey needs the DOJ to verify his claims and give a statement of its own.
The DOJ, though, can’t get its act together. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could, theoretically, deny that the DOJ investigated Trump but he, himself, could be part of the investigation. And, Sessions has recused himself from any criminal probe involving Russia.
Congress says that discussions about Trump’s allegations of wiretapping will continue Monday. By then, perhaps, the DOJ will have found someone who can help clear things up.