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Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions (r.), Then US President and Attorney General, in February 2017
Photo: Kevin Lamarque / REUTERS
The Justice Committee of the US House of Representatives has opened an investigation after the spying of reporters and parliamentarians under ex-President Donald Trump became known.
It is possible that the cases that have recently become known are individual cases, said the Democratic committee chairman Jerry Nadler on Monday (local time).
The incidents would, however, "raise serious constitutional and separation-of-power concerns."
Congress must make it "extremely difficult" or impossible for the Justice Department to spy on members of Congress or journalists.
According to media reports, during Trump's tenure, the Ministry of Justice secretly obtained phone data from reporters and access to data from several Democratic MPs.
Affected were the two members of the secret service committee in the House of Representatives, the current chairman Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, as the "New York Times" reports.
Data from their employees and family members were also requested, including that of a minor.
If it was a systematic effort by the Trump administration to target the political opposition, the full extent of this "abuse of power" must be grasped and those responsible must be held accountable, explained Nadler.
Minister Garland: We need new rules
US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday promised clarification and consequences in view of the spying on MPs.
The Justice Department also announced that Garland had met representatives from media such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN on Monday.
The need for new rules had been discussed.
The ministry also reiterated that in the future, in the event of an investigation into the disclosure of confidential information by an informed person, it would no longer access journalists' data to obtain information about their sources.
jok / dpa
