Trump's Russian Gate

The FBI has told Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) that it will brief them in response to their demand for any surveillance warrant applications for President Trump, Graham said Wednesday.


"We were informed by the FBI just a few minutes ago that they would be responding to our letter with a classified briefing to the chair and ranking member," Graham said at the outset of a Senate hearing on Russian interference in elections worldwide.

He provided no specific date for the briefing. FBI Director James Comey is on the Hill Wednesday to brief the chairman and ranking member of the full Judiciary Committee, Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Graham and Whitehouse, who head the subcommittee that has oversight over the FBI, last week sent a letter to Comey and acting deputy attorney general Dana Boente, asking for any warrant application or court documents tied to potential legal wiretapping of the Trump campaign, Trump or Trump Tower.

The resolution comes after Graham fired a warning shot to the FBI on Tuesday, telling reporters that the bureau was about to "screw up big time" if they didn't respond to his letter.

Graham's subcommittee is probing Russian influence in the U.S. election. The bureau headed the investigation into the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and is reportedly probing connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Both lawmakers argued Wednesday that the bureau should make the investigation public.

"I just want to let the American people know that this subcommittee - we're going to get an answer to whether or not the Trump campaign was surveilled. Was a warrant ever requested, was it issued?" Graham said.

"And I hope to be able to answer the question of is there an active investigation."

The president earlier this month claimed that former President Barack Obama had "wiretapped" Trump Tower during the campaign.

"Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" Trump tweeted.

In addition to Graham's subcommittee, the Senate and House Intelligence committees are also probing Moscow's meddling in the White House race and any potential contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

© Provided by The Hill FBI to brief Graham, Whitehouse on Trump warrants: Graham