FBI Director James Comey will go before the House Intelligence Committee next week amid continued questions and growing frustration over whether there are investigations over Russia, wiretapping and other issues.
- FBI director to testify before Congress on Monday
- Lawmakers want updates, answers on investigations
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President Trump is appearing to backtrack from his controversial accusation that his predecessor wiretapped Trump Tower during the presidential election.
For 11 days, President Trump was silent on his claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. But on Wednesday he walked back his accusation, expanding the definition of what a wiretap might be.
“Wiretap covers a lot of different things," President Trump said. "I think you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks.”
The Republican chairman and the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee threw cold water on Trump’s accusation.
“We don’t have any evidence that that took place,” said Rep. Devin Nunes, the House Intelligence Committee chairman.
“I have seen no evidence that supports the claim that President Trump made that his predecessor had wiretapped he and his associates at Trump Tower,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions was also asked Wednesday if he gave the president any reason to believe a wiretap actually happened.
“Look... answer, no,” Sessions said.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham also sent a letter to the FBI asking for proof of the alleged wiretapping. He said he has not heard back from them.
The two leading House Intelligence Committee lawmakers also contradicted each other when responding if there’s any evidence about an issue their panel is investigating, whether there were contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Nunes said.
“I wouldn’t answer that question as categorically as my colleague," Schiff said. "I think we need to be very precise when we talk about this and I just don’t think we can answer that categorically.”
Another question swirling on Capitol Hill, did FBI director James Comey tell Graham and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse that he would let them know by Wednesday if the FBI is in fact investigating any links between the Trump campaign and Russia?
"So far we have no answer," Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island said.
But Graham, a Republican, said Comey never made such a promise. Still, lawmakers may be closing in on some answers.
The first House Intelligence Committee hearing on the Russia investigation is next Monday. The FBI director will be there to testify.