Senator Lindsey Graham: I Believe I Was Unmasked By The Obama Administration
“I have reason to believe I was incidentally collected because I am a member of the senate dealing with foreign matters all the time. I have written to the FBI, NSA, CIA and I want to know is there any incidental collection on Senator Lindsey Graham and if so, was that collection unmasked and if so who made the request…I have been told by people in the intelligence community that there was incidental collection on me. Here is the question, what in the world would the U.N. ambassador need to know about a conversation? She is not a spy, she is not an intelligence person. What in the world would justify her (Samantha Power) unmasking somebody?”
—Senator Lindsey Graham on being unmasked by the Obama Administration
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explained to Brian Kilmeade that he was told by people in the intelligence community that a member of the Obama administration asked to have his conversations with a foreign leader and or person unmasked. Graham reasserted his firm belief that there is no evidence President Trump or anyone associated with him colluded with Russia. On the Comey front, the Senator says he’s concerned that the upcoming hearings involving the former FBI director will turn into a hit job on President Trump.
Listen here:
Lindsey Graham on the Obama administration unmasking members of congress
(Graham) Here is the question, were there political people in the Obama administration requesting unmasking conversations between foreign agents or leaders and members of congress to gather political information rather than protecting the country. That’s the central question. I have reason to believe I was incidentally collected because I am a member of the senate dealing with foreign matters all the time. I have written to the FBI, NSA, CIA and I want to know is there any incidental collection on Senator Lindsey Graham and if so, was that collection unmasked and if so who made the request?
Lindsey Graham on being informed he may have been unmasked by the Obama administration
(Graham) I have been told by people in the intelligence community that there was incidental collection on me. Here is the question, what in the world would the U.N. ambassador need to know about a conversation? She is not a spy, she is not an intelligence person. What in the world would justify her (Samantha Power) unmasking somebody?
(Kilmeade) what do you think the answer to that is?
(Graham) I know this, I was in a heated debate with the Obama administration with Israel and some other issues about how much aid to give Israel…so we are in this tit for tat and I don’t know, all I can say is I would be astonioshed if the UN ambassador made a request to unmask.
(Kilmeade) why else would there be a subpoena though?
(Graham) I don’t know, you need to ask the House people that. I am just saying this, if the U.N. Ambassador did make a request for unmasking, the rules are pretty clear, Admiral Rogers said you just can’t make a request to unmask because you are curious about what somebody said, you have to have a specific reason related to intelligence related to the homeland, national security not eavesdropping on political opponents. So the question is did they abuse unmasking. Did people in the Obama administration, basically through the back door try to listen in to conversations between political people and others for political reasons and not for intelligence gathering, that’s the central issue. I don’t know the answer to that question but I do believe it is a question that needs to be answered.
