Was it appropriate for Obama to actively investigate presidential campaign during election

[Anonymous]

In June of 2016, the Obama administration files a request with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to monitor communications involving Donald Trump and several advisers. The request, uncharacteristically, is denied.

In October, the Obama administration submits a new, narrow request to the FISA court, now focused on a computer server in Trump Tower suspected of links to Russian banks. No evidence is found — but the wiretaps continue, ostensibly for national security reasons, Andrew McCarthy at National Review later notes. The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services.

Is this an appropriate use of presidential power?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/03/mark_levin_the_real_scandal_is_that_obama_spied_on_trump_during_2016_campaign.html

[Anonymous]

A lot missing from this story. If a foreign power is directly coordinating operations with an American political candidate that absolutely needs to be investigated and prosecuted.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Under these specific cicumstances, yes.

[Anonymous]

I doubt it, but I would need more information.

[Anonymous]

Hell yes.

[Anonymous]

Yes! If it were a Democratic president who was compromised I would also expect him to do it!!

[Anonymous]

What was the hard evidence that anyone had been “compromised?”
Why was the first request denied?
What was the scope of the request that was granted?
Why were the wiretaps left in place when the initial investigation proved fruitless?
Who was privy to the information gained from the wiretaps?

Lots of unanswered questions. And, without the answers to these, and others, it is hard to say it was appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. It's not just appropriate, it's required.

[Anonymous]

Hypothetical.......
Hillary runs in 2020.
The Trump administration has evidence of her campaign colluding with a foreign government.
Would you also say that it is appropriate to investigate her campaign?

[Anonymous]

It depends on who was investigating. If it was led by the Intelligence Community, that is what they are supposed to do. If it was the White House, it would be out of bounds. Pretty sure the IC was leading, so not out of bounds.

The Trump Administration, on the other hand, is always out of bounds. They do not separate the political from the official or from the family business, and in fact want to shut down the official capacity of the government and run everything from the White House.

[Anonymous]

Was there I FISA warrant? Flynn was a U.S. citizen. How did that end up in the press? Leaking that is a felony.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot missing from this story. If a foreign power is directly coordinating operations with an American political candidate that absolutely needs to be investigated and prosecuted.

Did you notice the FISA warrant is on Trump, not the foreign power?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hypothetical.......
Hillary runs in 2020.
The Trump administration has evidence of her campaign colluding with a foreign government.
Would you also say that it is appropriate to investigate her campaign?

BINGO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In June of 2016, the Obama administration files a request with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) to monitor communications involving Donald Trump and several advisers. The request, uncharacteristically, is denied.

In October, the Obama administration submits a new, narrow request to the FISA court, now focused on a computer server in Trump Tower suspected of links to Russian banks. No evidence is found — but the wiretaps continue, ostensibly for national security reasons, Andrew McCarthy at National Review later notes. The Obama administration is now monitoring an opposing presidential campaign using the high-tech surveillance powers of the federal intelligence services.

Is this an appropriate use of presidential power?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/03/mark_levin_the_real_scandal_is_that_obama_spied_on_trump_during_2016_campaign.html

Keep in mind that much of the gathered info is not the US IC work product, but rather what foreign IC has collected and shared. People (Trump) are blaming leaks domestically when in many cases, like the Steele dossier, it is foreign Intelligence.

But in this case, it is valid to collect information that can prove a political candidate colluding with a foreign state to take an election, absolutely.