Lawmakers have denied the request, warning that they could subpoena the department for the evidence. President Donald Trump has made unsubstantiated allegations that his predecessor ordered targeted surveillance of him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lo Scalzo
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The US Justice Department (DOJ) on Monday asked for more time to gather evidence into unsubstantiated allegations that the former administration ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped during Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
The federal law enforcement authority asked for "additional time to review the request in compliance with the governing legal authorities and to determine what if any responsive documents may exist," said DOJ spokesman Sarah Isgur Flores.
Earlier this month, President Trump alleged in a series of tweets that former President Barack Obama had the real estate mogul's Manhattan home under surveillance.
"How low has President Obama gone to tapp (sic) my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick guy)," Trump wrote in a tweet.
"I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to election," he said in a separate tweet.
However, the US president has failed to provide evidence of the allegations, prompting concerns from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Monday attempted to clarify Trump's remarks, saying he did not mean to suggest that Obama had tapped his home.
"The president used the word wiretap in quotes to mean broadly surveillance and other activities," Spicer said.
Trump: Obama tapped my phone
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Lawmaker's ultimatum
A spokesman for Republican lawmaker Devin Nunes said on Monday that if the DOJ failed to comply with their request for evidence into the allegations, then the House intelligence committee could resort to a subpoena.
"If the committee does not receive a response by then, the committee will ask for this information during the March 20 hearing and may resort to a compulsory process if our questions continue to go answered," said Nunes' spokesman Jack Langer.
Meanwhile, veteran Republican lawmaker John McCain on Sunday urged Trump's administration to provide evidence or withdraw the allegations.
"I think the president has one of two choices: either retract or to provide the information that the American people deserve," McCain said. "If his predecessor violated the law, President Obama violated the law, we've got a serious issue here, to say the least."
Under American legislation, the president is unable to order targeted surveillance. Trump has the ability to declassify any documents linked to the allegations, a demand that his critics have voiced repeatedly. Meanwhile, Obama - via a spokesman - has denied the allegations.
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
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Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
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The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
