On Saturday, March 4, 2017, Donald Trump issued a series of tweets via Twitter accusing his predecessor, Barack Obama, of wiretapping Trump Tower during the election. Donald Trump has inferred that Barack Obama attempted to interfere with the election via a Watergate-type scandal.
The allegation and the tweets demonstrate once again that Trump has no business leading the country.
Wiretapping the telecommunications of a building or an individual requires either the help of the telecommunications providers or by physically wiretapping into the telco lines coming into the building. Both are illegal if not authorized by a court order.
The president of the United States does not have the authority to issue a tap of any telecommunications of U.S. citizens.
To wiretap a U.S. citizen, a special court would issue a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) order to intervene in the telecommunications of an individual or a group of individuals. FISA orders are limited to investigations into foreign intelligence gathering operations in the U.S. A U.S. citizen must be under investigation for treason or for working for a foreign government for a FISA order to be granted against them.
The second way that a wiretap can be authorized is through a court order for a criminal investigation. The target must be under criminal investigation for a court order to be issued to intervene on their communications.
Obviously, there is the third option that an illegal wiretap was used.
As is usual with the Trump administration there is much innuendo with little to no facts.
Let’s look at Trump’s tweets. Donald Trump clearly alleged that it was Barack Obama who ordered the wiretap of Trump Towers which has yet to be substantiated.
Regardless, if a wiretap was placed on Trump Tower it was either legal or illegal. A court order or FISA warrant are the two legal ways. The third way was an illegally intervened telco lines.
There are various news reports alleging that a FISA order was requested, some rejected and one or more approved on October of last year for the Trump Tower. It is in dispute if this is the evidence of Trump’s wiretapping allegation. Regardless of whether it is evidence or just a distraction the fact remains that either a FISA warrant was issued or a court order was issued to wiretap Trump Tower. Both scenarios are bad for Donald Trump as the wiretapping was the result of alleged criminal activity in Trump’s building. Whether Trump was targeted is immaterial.
Illegally wiretapping the building is another possibility.
So, let us break down.
First, if it was a legal wiretap it would signify that an allegation of criminal activity was made against someone in Trump’s building possibly including Trump, himself. Regardless, it was not Barack Obama who would have had the authority to order the wiretap of Trump’s building.
Had the wiretap being illegal then it could possibly have included Obama as part of the conspiracy.
This brings us back to the most important issue of Trump’s allegation, accountability to the people of the United States.
If Donald Trump has evidence that demonstrates that an illegal wiretap was put into his building, then he has a responsibility to the electorate to declassify whatever document he need to prove his allegation.
It is within his authority and it is important to note that Trump, himself declassified any pertinent information by making the allegation on Twitter in the first place.
Donald Trump has alleged a serious crime against Barack Obama and now owes it to the people of the country to offer any proof he has.
On the other hand, if Trump made the allegation based on erroneous or incomplete information he also has a duty to clarify this because not do so undermines the authority of the executive branch of the United States, his and Barack Obama’s.
But he has done neither, leaving the allegation withering on the vine of speculation across the news media.
This is wrong and additional clear proof that Donald Trump has no business leading the country.
So how did Gen. Flynn’s legal conversation with the Russian ambassador find its way to WAPO?
Didn’t you see Obama’s spokesmen refuse to deny the allegation ? Best answer given was they didn’t know. That’s an odd answer.
The President can’t order that a warrant be issued but he CAN direct an agency to do the warrant and tap.
Jerry K
Some one broke the law in releasing the Flynn/Russian ambassador’s transcript information from covert operations and it came from some one in the Obama administration. Also Martin missed that Clapper the director of Nation intelligence, Obama appointed, said two days ago there was no evidence of any connection between Trump and Russia.
Also many Americans do not know or refuse to face up to is that agencies with in the U.S. government run unwarranted sting ray and other type operations against Americans citizens all the time contrary to what some in media and the lunatic fringe tit tard left is trying to claim. It’s common place.
See Martin and the left tards can’t show one ounce of supporting proof Trump has done anything unlawful. criminal or illegal and as before the election constantly trying to pass off unsupported innuendo as fact which it’s all total “BULL SHIT”.
This is all smoke and mirrors from the propaganda media out lets in support of the lunatic fringe tit tard left.
Once again Martin as a foreign national give us one factual example of how you have been treat wrongly, inhumanly, had your propriety seized or how any one is trying to remove you from the U.S. under Trump? The facts no one has restrained you! If Trump was what you claimed you would be in jail, or back in Mexico and your little blog would be shut down and none of this has happened.
If Martin were writing these things in Mexico he could be in a lot of trouble.
Agree
Martin, I don’t always agree with you but you cannot argue or debate with assholes (post comments that are just simply below the belt). Makes you wonder why they read your “little blog” and then take their “precious little time” to make their incisive “little comments” on your “little blog” site.
Ronald
You can eat me! You’re the sugar tit tard progressive Democrat that thought Hillary was going to win and Trump had zero chance of winning. Also was the one who was out raged and chided Trump supporters for even talking about doing what the tit tards progressives are doing now and claimed how it undermined our election process and denigrates America. Where is your out rage now for idiots in your own party. Crickets hypocrite! If Martin can dish the crap he should be man enough to hear criticism of his tripe. All Martin has to do is say he hates Trump and end it there but no he makes up unsupported non-sense and proven false innuendos he knows morons like yourself will eat it up with out even thinking… Then again with Hillary you went more than a year with out thinking. Speaks Volume about you Ronald and who the real assholes are!