US to probe Trump campaign 'infiltration'
Washington, May 21: The US Department of Justice will investigate whether FBI agents spied on President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign for "inappropriate purposes", media reports said.
In a tweet, Trump said he wanted to know whether his predecessor Barack Obama's administration ordered such a move.
"I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow (Monday), 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!"
"If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action," Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.
The call comes after the US media reports suggested the Federal Bureau of Investigation had an informant meeting campaign aides. Rosenstein said action would be taken if any infiltration was found, the BBC said.
There is already an investigation into all aspects relating to Trump's campaign for the 2016 election and whether Russia tried to influence the outcome.
Trump's latest demand came amid a series of tweets on Sunday denouncing a "witch hunt" that, he said, had found no collusion by his campaign with Russia.
This refers to the ongoing investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 US election, whether there was any collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's election campaign and whether the president tried unlawfully to obstruct the inquiry.
Trump has constantly attacked the inquiry. "It took place very early on, and long before the phony Russia Hoax became a 'hot' Fake News story," Trump tweeted, adding: "If true - all time biggest political scandal!"
The New York Times followed with an article that suggested there was, indeed, an FBI informant -- whose identity it did not reveal -- who had been sent to speak to campaign aides but only after the FBI had received reports of "suspicious contacts linked to Russia".
The informant -- an American academic working in the UK -- had made contact with George Papadopoulos and Carter Page. The Washington Post reported a similar account.
Law enforcement officials have refused to provide evidence to Congressional leaders over the issue. They have argued that doing so would put the informant's life -- or that of his contacts -- in danger, the BBC said.
Trump could order the US Department of Justice -- which has oversight over the FBI -- to release the documents.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
