Trump Officials Seized Democrats’ Apple Data in Leak Probe

Officials in the Trump administration are going to be subjected to investigation by the US justice department for the attempt of Democrats phone records seizure.

At the arrival of reports capturing the information of Apple being ordered to release data as part of efforts in exposing who was leaking information, internal probing can then commence.

It’s no news to Two House Intelligence Committee members that the records of their iPhone calls have been handed over. The action was criticized as appalling by one of the Biden White House officials.

The request of evidence to Apple on data from 2017 and early 2018 was made by prosecutors under former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to the New York Times.

Reports about the search of news about contacts between Russia and associates of Republican President Donald Trump turned out to be a subject matter of Congressional investigations including the House Intelligence committee.

To obtain communication records, Justice department inspector General Michael Horowitz said his office emulated the use of subpoenas and other authorities to obtain communication records of Congress members. He added, saying investigations could expand if other issues arise.

He made his statement right after Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer and Judiciary Committee chairman Dick Durbin requested Mr. Sessions and William Barr to testify or face a subpoena.

Not being in the department before issuance of the subpoenas, Mr. Barr Said that he ran his tenure not aware of any congressman records being sought in a leak case speaking to politico, according to the New York Times.

Two members of Congress, known to be targeted are: Representative Adam Schiff, now the Intelligence Committee’s chairman, and committee member Eric Swalwell.

By President Trump justice department, Mr. Schiff called for a deeper look at the abuse of power targeting Congress and the press and he said the investigation was just the start.

It’s tradition for the department to give a daily investigation into leaked information, gaining the attention of Congress members into such an inquiry is rare, BBC North America correspondent David Willis says

The effects of the seized data did not tie any of the Democrats, their aides, or their family members to the leaks, says the New York Times.

The department went more miles in putting a stop order to Apple from exposing those involved, says the paper. It was this year the order expired and Apple reportedly told the target last month.

The reports of Justice department officials secretly obtaining some of their journalists’ phone records in 2017 were made known last month by multiple media outlets. The department later mentioned that they would adhere strictly and stop seizing reporter’s data during leak investigations.