Obama team hits back at Trump over wiretapping claims

By Canberk Yuksel

NEW YORK (AA) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday refuted claims by his successor that he was behind a series of leaks that have rocked Donald Trump's administration.

"Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen," Obama's spokesman Kevin Lewis said in a statement.

Trump claimed last Tuesday in an interview on Fox News: "I think that President Obama’s behind it because his people are certainly behind it."

On Friday, he fired off a number of tweets perpetuating the claim, saying a good lawyer "could make a great case" out of the wiretapping activity that allegedly took place in October, before the Nov. 8 election.

He even went so far as to call Obama a "bad (or sick) guy!"

Trump has not offered any evidence to support his claims.

Trump-appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any investigation related to the Trump campaign's Russia ties.

His decision came after the Washington Post reported he met twice with Russia’s Washington envoy during the run-up to last year’s presidential election -- contacts he denied under congressional testimony.

Last month, Michael Flynn was forced to resign as national security advisor after media reports exposed his contacts with the Russian ambassador to Washington before Trump assumed power.

Reports also claimed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the discussions over sanctions.