Press Releases

Public Remarks on Incidental Collection of Trump Associates

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes

March 22, 2017

At our open hearing on Monday, I encouraged anyone who has information about relevant topics—including surveillance on President-elect Trump or his transition team—to come forward and speak to the House Intelligence Committee.   I also said that, while there was not a physical wiretap of Trump Tower, I was concerned that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates.

·        I recently confirmed that, on numerous occasions, the Intelligence Community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition. 

·        Details about U.S. persons associated with the incoming administration—details with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value—were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting. 

·        I have confirmed that additional names of Trump transition team members were unmasked.  

·        To be clear, none of this surveillance was related to Russia or any investigation of Russian activities or of the Trump team.

The House Intelligence Committee will thoroughly investigate this surveillance and its subsequent dissemination to determine:

·        Who was aware of it

·        Why it was not disclosed to Congress

·        Who requested and authorized the additional unmasking

·        Whether anyone directed the intelligence community to focus on Trump associates; and

·        Whether any laws, regulations, or procedures were violated

I’ve asked the Directors of the FBI, NSA, and CIA to expeditiously comply with my March 15 letter, and to provide a full account of these surveillance activities.  I informed Speaker Ryan this morning of this new information, and I will be going to the White House this afternoon to share what I know with the President.