• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

CNN: US government wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort

C

chadskin

Member
US investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election, sources tell CNN, an extraordinary step involving a high-ranking campaign official now at the center of the Russia meddling probe.

The government snooping continued into early this year, including a period when Manafort was known to talk to President Donald Trump.

Some of the intelligence collected includes communications that sparked concerns among investigators that Manafort had encouraged the Russians to help with the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. Two of these sources, however, cautioned that the evidence is not conclusive.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is leading the investigation into Russia's involvement in the election, has been provided details of these communications.

A secret order authorized by the court that handles the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) began after Manafort became the subject of an FBI investigation that began in 2014. It centered on work done by a group of Washington consulting firms for Ukraine's former ruling party, the sources told CNN.

The surveillance was discontinued at some point last year for lack of evidence, according to one of the sources.

The FBI then restarted the surveillance after obtaining a new FISA warrant that extended at least into early this year.

Sources say the second warrant was part of the FBI's efforts to investigate ties between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives. Such warrants require the approval of top Justice Department and FBI officials, and the FBI must provide the court with information showing suspicion that the subject of the warrant may be acting as an agent of a foreign power.

It is unclear when the new warrant started. The FBI interest deepened last fall because of intercepted communications between Manafort and suspected Russian operatives, and among the Russians themselves, that reignited their interest in Manafort, the sources told CNN. As part of the FISA warrant, CNN has learned that earlier this year, the FBI conducted a search of a storage facility belonging to Manafort. It's not known what they found.

The conversations between Manafort and Trump continued after the President took office, long after the FBI investigation into Manafort was publicly known, the sources told CNN. They went on until lawyers for the President and Manafort insisted that they stop, according to the sources.

It's unclear whether Trump himself was picked up on the surveillance.

The White House declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for Manafort didn't comment for this story.
Click to expand...
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/18/p...overnment-wiretapped-fisa-russians/index.html
 
A

ArkhamFantasy

Member
vlyOhlR.gif
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Ugh, here comes Trump on twitter saying he was right about Obama wiretapping him!

But this shit was legal. I would have wanted these goons spied on also.
 
O

Orbis Tabula

Member
This is one of those instances where I could swear we already knew this. I guess it was maybe heavily rumored but never confirmed until now?
 
DietRob

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
How long until Trump tweets a "TOLD YOU SO" on twitter as if this vindicates his statements.

Or will it be a "FAKE NEWS" tweet.

Place your bets now!
 
J

Joeytj

Banned
Holy shit.

So there might indeed by proof of Trump's personal collusion.

Trump won't use this as vindication because it was indeed authorized and now part of the Russian investigation. His lawyers are going to shut him up as best as they can.
 
U

ultracal31

You don't get to bring friends.
Joeytj said:
Holy shit.

So there might indeed by proof of Trump's personal collusion.

Trump won't use this as vindication because it was indeed authorized and now part of the Russian investigation. His lawyers are going to shut him up as best as they can.
Click to expand...

"As best as they can"

You're cute, incoming 3 am tweet...
 
A

ApharmdX

Banned
RPGCrazied said:
Ugh, here comes Trump on twitter saying he was right about Obama wiretapping him!

But this shit was legal. I would have wanted these goons spied on also.
Click to expand...

The FISA court is a rubber stamp.

I mean, if some good comes from this, great, but the court itself is troubled.
 
J

Joeytj

Banned
RPGCrazied said:
Ugh, here comes Trump on twitter saying he was right about Obama wiretapping him!

But this shit was legal. I would have wanted these goons spied on also.
Click to expand...

Trump claimed Obama himself ordered the illegal wiretapping. His own Department of Justice already denied this a couple of weeks ago.

But yeah, no doubt some fools will think this is "good" news for Trump, when it's specifically the opposite. It was authorized by FISA and against Manafort, not Trump.
 
B

BoogieWoogie

Banned
UNMASKING!

But seriously, if anything is going to terrify the shit out of Trump, it's this. He was definitely gabbing with Manafort about some bad shit.
 
L

Lil'DigiOp

Member
The way Mueller crew has been slow leaking has me really believing the walls are gonna cave in one day. Compared to how we live now since Watergate, its such a slow burn
 
J

Joeytj

Banned
ultracal31 said:
"As best as they can"

You're cute, incoming 3 am tweet...
Click to expand...

I think Trump has already been thoroughly "educated" by his cabinet and lawyers about the issue, which is why he completely shut down that John Dickerson interview when asked about the wiretapping claims.

He knows he screwed up and understands that any actual wiretapping authorized by the government means there's some suspicion of wrongdoing or even proof it by his team, or even himself.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
So, I wonder if this was what Trump was freaking out about when he was saying Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. Or was that a different wiretap?

Manafort is completely fucked.
 
smokeymicpot

smokeymicpot

Beat EviLore at pool.
https://nyti.ms/2jFtdTR

With a Picked Lock and a Threatened Indictment, Mueller’s Inquiry Sets a Tone

Nytimes now


But associates of both Mr. Manafort and Mr. Flynn have received more peremptory treatment. Instead of invitations to the prosecutor’s office, they have been presented with grand jury subpoenas, forcing them to either testify or take the Fifth Amendment and raise suspicions that they had something to hide. At least three witnesses have recently been subpoenaed to testify about Mr. Manafort: Jason Maloni, a spokesman who appeared before the grand jury for more than two hours on Friday, and the heads of two consulting firms — Mercury Public Affairs and the Podesta Group — who worked with Mr. Manafort on behalf of Viktor F. Yanukovych, the pro-Russia former president of Ukraine.

Mr. Mueller’s team also took the unusual step of issuing a subpoena to Melissa Laurenza, a specialist in lobbying law who formerly represented Mr. Manafort, according to people familiar with the subpoena. Conversations between lawyers and their clients are normally considered bound by attorney-client privilege, but there are exceptions when lawyers prepare public documents that are filed on behalf of their client.
 
D

Dyle

Member
Woo, this is great news. I wonder if how long it will be until somebody discloses what they found

Edit, Well that didn't take long, enjoy the indictment Paul!
 
K

Kenai

Member
My only wish at this very moment is that a certain tiny-handed tangerine is doing all he can to stop shitting himself in fear.
 
DietRob

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
Makonero said:
Pee pee tape!
Click to expand...

Why is everyone so excited about this supposed tape?

If he can survive the access Hollywood tape he can certainly survive so strippers pissing on a bed Obama slept on. I'm sure most all of his supporters would gladly piss on a bed Obama slept in.
 
D

Dubbedinenglish

Banned
DietRob said:
Why is everyone so excited about this supposed tape?

If he can survive the access Hollywood tape he can certainly survive so strippers pissing on a bed Obama slept on. I'm sure most all of his supporters would gladly piss on a bed Obama slept in.
Click to expand...

PP📼 Is the most fantastical part of the dossier, if that is true the money stuff is more than likely real.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Locked
[TNYT] Brazil Blocks X After Musk Ignores Court Orders
Social News Community 2
69
4K
ManaByte replied
  • Locked
Elon Musk vs Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court
Social Opinion News
12
2K
AJUMP23 replied
Vince McMahon / Brock Lesner Accused of Sex Trafficking and other weird shit
2 3
149
18K
Grildon Tundy replied
CNN Exclusive - US government wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman
9
3K
Geist- replied
Judge rejects Manaforts motion to dismiss charges in Russia probe.
5
1K
n0razi replied
Top Bottom