Intel chairman: 'I don't think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower'

WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee cast President Trump's widely disputed wiretap claims into further question Wednesday, saying that he had seen no evidence that the Obama administration had ordered surveillance of Trump's New York offices in advance of the November election.

In a striking show of unity, Chairman Devin Nunes of California and Rep. Adam Schiff, the panel's ranking Democrat, also of California, appeared to leave the White House increasingly alone in its claim that the president's campaign had been the target of government surveillance.

“We don't have any evidence that that took place,” Nunes said during a news conference at the Capitol. “I don't think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.”

Nunes said it was obvious that President Obama did not personally install listening devices in the building where Trump has offices and an apartment. He said the committee has had to try to determine what Trump meant if his tweet earlier this month could not be taken literally.

“If the White House or the president want to come out and clarify his statements more, it would probably, probably be helpful,” Nunes said.

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Meanwhile, Congress was ramping up pressure Wednesday on the FBI and the Justice Department to respond to Trump's wiretap allegations and outline the status of the bureau's ongoing investigation into communications between Trump associates and Russian government officials.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, indicated Wednesday that he has bipartisan support to seek subpoenas if FBI Director James Comey did not resolve lawmakers' questions about the president's claims soon.

"The bottom line is that a lot of Americans want to know what's going on here,'' Graham said at Senate hearing examining Russia's efforts at undermining the U.S. political system and other democracies.

Graham said the FBI informed him Wednesday that the bureau would be responding to lawmakers' concerns in "a classified setting.'' Late Wednesday afternoon, Comey briefed Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Senate panel's ranking member, on the Russian matter. But both the lawmakers and Comey declined comment following the hourlong session. Feinstein characterized the meeting as a "highly classified'' exchange.

If lawmakers questions go unresolved, Graham said there is Judiciary Committee support for issuing subpoenas to compel the information and to block the pending nomination of Rod Rosenstein, who is awaiting confirmation as the deputy attorney general.

Rosenstein's position is especially crucial since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing the federal Russia inquiry after it was disclosed that the former Alabama senator — and Trump campaign adviser — had met twice with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the course of the general election campaign. Sessions did not disclose the meetings during his January confirmation hearings.

Earlier this week, the Justice Department, facing a separate deadline from the House Intelligence Committee to turn over information that might support Trump's wiretap claims, asked for additional time to determine whether any information exists.

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Nunes also said Wednesday he was demanding more answers from the intelligence community about efforts they make to block the release of the names of Americans who are caught on tape during surveillance of foreign officials.

In addition, Nunes and Schiff co-authored a letter seeking answers by Friday about the so-called “unmasked” American identities. Nunes and Schiff also said the committee would use its subpoena power if it does not get an acceptable response.

The flurry of activity Wednesday comes as Comey, Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper are scheduled to testify at a public hearing before Nunes' committee Monday.

Shortly after Trump issued his wiretap claims in a series of tweets, Comey asked that Justice officials refute the president's allegations. The Justice Department has not acted on that request. Separately, Clapper has publicly denied that such surveillance of Trump Tower existed.

Schiff said Comey would be asked publicly whether he has seen any evidence that substantiates Trump’s claim.

“It deeply concerns me that the president would make such an accusation without basis,” Schiff said.

He said it could be Trump was just reacting to something he saw on television, and the White House reaction has evolved over time.

“You can't level an accusation of that type without retracting it or explaining just why it was done,” Schiff said. “I think there are, from a national security perspective, great concerns if the president is willing to state things like that without any basis, because the country needs to be able to rely on him, particularly if we have a crisis.

Trump sought to expand the definition of "wiretap" on Wednesday, telling a Fox News interviewer that it can mean a lot of different types of surveillance.

"But wiretap covers a lot of different things," Trump told Fox's Tucker Carlson. "I think you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks."

Trump echoed his aides, who in recent days sought to expand the nature of Trump's claims about Obama. While the president used the the term "wiretapping" in his March 4 tweets, spokesman Sean Spicer and other aides have said he was referring to "surveillance" in general.

On Wednesday, Spicer said Nunes said he has no evidence "at this time" and that a review is ongoing. "We're still at the beginning stages of this," Spicer said.

Spicer again said there was no connection between the Trump campaign and Russians who sought to hack the 2016 election. "There's nothing there," he said.

Separately Wednesday, Graham led a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism about how to keep Russians from interfering in future U.S. and European elections. The U.S. Intelligence Community issued a report in January concluding that the Russian government, at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin,  interfered in the election to try to help Trump and defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. The intelligence agencies also concluded that there was no evidence that the Russians tampered with the actual vote-tallying equipment.

Graham asked former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, whose country has been a victim of Russian hacking, what would happen if the U.S. "decided to forgive and forget"  Russia's interference in the U.S. election.

"I believe, sir, it would encourage them to continue," Ilves told Graham, who supports stronger U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Kenneth Wainstein, a former chief of the Justice Department's National Security Division under President George W. Bush, said America can expect more cyber attacks aimed at interfering in U.S. elections — not just from Russia, but also from China, Iran and North Korea. He added that the U.S. government should consider a wide range of counter measures, including possibly "hacking back" against Russia and other nations to discourage them from interfering in U.S. elections.

"The threat is real," he said.

Contributing: Erin Kelly and David Jackson