DOJ Responds To Trump's Call For Answers About Alleged Campaign Mole
WASHINGTON, DC (CBSNewYork) - President Donald Trump is demanding that the Department of Justice find out if a mole was planted in his presidential campaign for political reasons.
This comes on the day a new CIA director gets to work, reports CBS2's Dick Brennan.
"We are here today for the swearing in of a very special person - your new CIA Director," said Trump at the swearing in ceremony for Gina Haspel.
"There is no one in this country for this extraordinary office than you," the president said. "By the way, if you don't agree with me please let me know now, before it's too late."
But the President made no reference to his weekend tweet: "I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration."
"For a long time we've been told that there was some kind of infiltration," said Rudy Giuliani, one of the president's lawyers. "I believe if there was an embedded person, that person cleared us."
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray were summoned to the White House today to meet with the president.
Sources tell CBS News an FBI informant was instructed to make contact with at least three Trump campaign advisers - Carter Page, George Papadopoulos and Sam Clovis - after the bureau learned they had suspicious contacts with Russian officials.
"I see no evidence of a political spy in the campaign, I think that's complete nonsense," said California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff.
Rosenstein has turned the investigation over the inspector general to investigate "whether there was any impropriety" and said, "If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants, we need to know about it."
If the inspector general finds evidence of criminal wrongdoing, he can turn it over to the DOJ for prosecution.
