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Report claims FBI ‘spied on Trump’

Donald Trump has said a story written by The New York Times that the FBI used a woman to spy on the Trump campaign will be “bigger than Watergate”.
Donald Trump says the Obama Administration spied on his campaign. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

Donald Trump says the Obama Administration spied on his campaign. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

Donald Trump says reports that the FBI used a female informant to get information out of a Trump aide during the 2016 election campaign could be “bigger than Watergate”.

The New York Times ran a front-page story overnight suggesting the woman was deployed to meet with George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to the campaign, at a London bar as part of the FBI’s investigation into suspected co-ordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.
 

George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation. Picture: AP
George Papadopoulos, the former Trump campaign adviser who triggered the Russia investigation. Picture: APSource:AP

 

“There is a word for this in the English language: spying,” said Brad Parscale, President Trump’s campaign manager for the upcoming election. “For two years, Democrats and their allies in the media have lied to the American people about the Russia collusion hoax, when all along the real scandal was the Obama administration using the Justice Department to spy on a political adversary’s campaign.”

George Papadopoulos’ meeting with Alexander Downer sparked Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Picture: AFP
George Papadopoulos’ meeting with Alexander Downer sparked Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

 

Former Liberal Party minister turned diplomat, Alexander Downer, had a drink with in May 2016 with Papadopoulos where the Trump aide reportedly confessed that the Trump campaign had dirt from the Russians on Hillary Clinton.
 

Alexander Downer. Picture: Ben Stevens
Alexander Downer. Picture: Ben StevensSource:News Corp Australia

 

George Papadopoulos. Picture: AFP
George Papadopoulos. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

 

The Australian high commissioner to the UK reported the interaction, which prompted Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Papadopoulos repeated claims overnight that Mr Downer was an asset for the US.
 

     

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has previously dismissed the spying claim.

“The Australian government categorically rejects any allegation that it sought somehow to interfere in the US presidential election,” a DFAT spokesperson said.

The New York Times reported that the woman who had a drink with, who said her name was Azra Turk, was actually a government investigator posing as a research assistant, according to people familiar with the operation.

 
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with then FBI director James Comey. Picture: Getty
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with then FBI director James Comey. Picture: GettySource:Supplied

 

The paper reported that the FBI sent her to London as part of the counterintelligence inquiry to better understand the Trump campaign’s links to Russia.

The FBI declined to comment.

Mr Trump said the front-page New York Times story could win a “Pulitzer Prize”.
 

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

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