FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly refute President Donald Trump’s explosive accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones, US media reported on Sunday.
The New York Times, citing senior US officials, first reported that Comey believes Trump’s unsubstantiated claim about his predecessor to be false. The department has not made any statement.
Questioning the president’s truthfulness, Comey’s extraordinary measure provides an indication of the implications of the uncharted territory Trump has entered with his accusation.
However, although the Justice Department — which is headed by Trump’s staunch supporter Attorney General Jeff Sessions — oversees the FBI, it is not clear why Comey didn’t issue a statement himself.
Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday.
