Obama's Surveillance of Donald

  By Florida Bill 

                             There has been a fascinating turn around in the controversy surrounding President Trump's allegation that former President Obama, while still in office, was the force behind a "wire tap" of him and members of his team.  
                              News that forces loyal to the former president had been recording conversations of Trump and his surrogates before and after the election was communicated to the President by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes. The surveillance was arranged by application to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court through which Trump and his associates became "incidental" participants in NSA intercepted conversations.  Their identities were unmasked and their conversations were recorded and apparently disseminated. "Legal, but for what reason," asked Nunes who has shared the new information with unhappy Democrats on the committee. 
                                 It all started on March 4, when Trump tweeted:"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism." The accusation brought swift denials and President Trump was labeled a liar.  Former president Obama issued a statement that he never ordered a wire trap of Trump.  
                                 After receiving the information of the surveillance, Trump told newsmen that he felt that he had been "vindicated."  One newsman said that former Pres. Obama should be asked to explain the "incidental" surveillance of the Trump team before the Intelligence committee.   
                                Thrown into the controversy has been the bombshell claim put out by former New Jersey Judge Andrew Napolitano, who has a reputation for political savvy and legal knowledge.  In public comments on Fox News which employs him as its legal and news analyst, Napolitano said that he had been informed by "three intelligence agencies that President Obama went outside the chain of command and arranged a surveillance of Trump and his team in a way that left no record.
                               "He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI, and he didn't use the Department of Justice," the judge said.  Instead, Obama used a British agency with access to the NSA database.  "There's no American fingerprints on it.  What happened to the guy who ordered this...he resigned three days after Donald Trump was inaugurated," Napolitano said.
                              The veteran judge was castigated as a teller of tall tales by Shepard Smith, a left wing afternoon anchor at the Fox News station, which also employs Napolitano.  Nevertheless, the judge says that he "stands by what he has said."  The long and short of it is that Judge Napolitano is nobody's fool and someone ought to be investigating the allegation?
                               FBI Director Comey, no stranger to TV pronouncements, was back in the spotlight recently, testifying before the Rep. Nunes' House Intelligence Committee. The six-foot, eight-inch Comey told the committee that the FBI has been investigating activities surrounding the recent campaign since last July, and had determined that Russia hacked into DNC emails and communicated them to Wikileaks, which then published them.  However, said Comey, he had no evidence of Russia's manipulation of the voting process, and had no evidence in support of Pres. Trump's tweet concerning an Obama wiretap.  He said the investigation into "collusion" between the Trump team and the Kremlin is ongoing and that he has no way of knowing how long it will go on.  He indicated that the investigation will be all encompassing.
                                  Under tough questioning by Rep. Trey Gowdy, Comey acknowledged that one Trump surrogate, General Mike Flynn, had been "unmasked" improperly and that a transcript of his  conversation with a Russian ambassador had been recorded and leaked to the press.  "That is a felony, and the leaker would face a possible 10 years in prison, would he not?" Gowdy asked Comey, who reluctantly acknowledged that there had been a leak and that it would be a violation of a criminal statute.  "The FBI takes  leaking very seriously," its director said, but he stopped short of saying that that incident was being investigated. 
                                    Certainly, Comey had to know of the  surveillance of Trump and his associates which has now been revealed by Intelligence Chairman Nunes.  President-elect Trump and members of his team became unwitting "incidental persons" as part of intercepted conversations monitored by Obama intelligence agencies. Their identities were then unmasked and their conversations followed and recorded, according to data discovered by Rep. Nunes.      
                                  Comey, 56, was appointed to a 10-year term as FBI director by President Obama in 2013.  Last July, in the busy months leading up to the November 8 election, Comey held a news conference to announce that he would not recommend a prosecution of Hillary Clinton for her mishandling of emails. She was reckless and had lied about matters in public statements, he said, but nevertheless, will not be prosecuted since she did not harbor a criminal intent. Eleven days before the election, Comey sent a letter to Congress that he was reopening that investigation, but then, eight days later, 3 days before balloting, said again that there would be no prosecution.
                                   Initially, Trump denounced Comey for dodging prosecution of "Crooked Hillary" but then commended him when he "did the right thing" and reopened the  investigation. When Comey cleared her for a second time, Trump looked upon Comey with suspicion. 
                                   Following the election, it was presumed that President Trump would ask Comey to resign, but after a meeting with him, allowed him to continue as director. He remains as FBI chief, sort of "twisting in the wind." 
                                        Currently, Congressmen on both sides of the political aisle have lost confidence in the integrity of Director Comey.  In fact, because of his peculiar on again, off again investigation of Mrs. Clinton and her emails, there have been demands for his resignation with accusations that he is dishonest and incompetent.  Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, said that Comey has been "twisted into an indefensible pretzel of contradictions."  
                                        On January 12, Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who oversees and monitors the activities of the Department of Justice and the FBI, its investigative arm, responded to the continuing criticism of the FBI director, with an unusual and somewhat unprecedented announcement.  
                                        He said that there would be a review of the allegations of misconduct involving Director Comey and how he handled the probe of Hillary Clinton's email practices.  The investigation, he said, will be wide ranging and will encompass Comey's various correspondence  and will determine whether the FBI or other Justice department employees leaked non public information. 

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