Quote:I don't think the issue is just the legality of the "wiretapping" or surveillance, but also the ethical ramifications. We need to know who authorized it and why it was authorized.

 

Was the legal justification for authorizing surveillance actually enough to satisfy the requirements of the law? We may find out that it wasn't, but even if it was, there is likely to be a grey ethical area of uncertainty.

 

The distribution of an American citizen's (Flynn) audio acquired through foreign surveillance throughout the IC without proper scrubbing is definitely a violation which lead to an illegal leak. The surveillance (or hacking) of Trump's server to detect foreign involvement also seems extremely suspect, especially considering how this surveillance activity was almost immediately known by Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and other Democrats.

 

Everything about this is super shady and really throws a wrench into the credibility of future elections. If anyone can be surveyed for simply interacting with a foreign entity (many of which do on a daily basis because it is their job), and the IC is no longer scrubbing US citizen's information, then everyone is at risk. I hope this doesn't go away and we get some closure.

 

Who authorized what?   We haven't even seen evidence that there ever was any surveillance.   And I'm not talking about taking a few newspaper articles and making 2+2=5.   I'm talking about the kind of evidence that would be within Trump's control as head of the executive branch.   He could prove his allegation on his own.   He doesn't need any help from Congress. 

 

Mr. President, what makes you think Obama had you surveilled?   Tell us.  Call a news conference and lay out the evidence.  What's the problem? 

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