BREAKING: Comey Asks Justice Department To Reject Trump’s False Wiretapping Claim

FBI Chief Knows President Is Lying, But Won’t Issue Statement Without Agency’s Approval

FBI Director James Comey has asked the Department of Justice to reject President Donald Trump’s claim that the Obama administration wiretapped him during last year’s campaign. 

However, the Department of Justice — which is led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions — has not released any such statement. 

The New York Times reported Sunday afternoon that Comey made the request this weekend because he’s concerned that Trump’s claim is false and must be corrected. Comey believes Trump’s claim suggests that the FBI broke the law, and could raise expectations that authorities have evidence showing the president’s campaign colluded with Russia. 

“A statement by the Justice Department or Mr. Comey refuting Mr. Trump’s allegations would be a remarkable rebuke of a sitting president, putting the nation’s top law enforcement officials in the position of questioning the truthfulness of the government’s top leader,” the NYT reported.  

Several observers on Twitter questioned why Comey wouldn’t simply issue a statement himself, since he had no problem doing so immediately before the election, when he announced the FBI was reopening its investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. In that case, Comey reportedly defied his bosses at the justice department, and his letter has been widely blamed for costing Clinton the election.

The White House doubled down on Trump’s claim Sunday morning, calling for a congressional investigation. And the GOP chair of the House Intelligence Committee, who served on Trump’s transition team, quickly acquiesced. 

Representatives from the justice department, including Sessions, are with Trump at Mar-a-Lago this weekend as the president prepares to issue a new Muslim travel ban on Monday. 

A few reactions from Twitter below.