Exclusive us government wiretapped former trump campaign chairman

You're referring to the news that the US government wiretapped Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for Donald Trump, as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

In 2017, it was reported that Manafort's communications were monitored by the National Security Agency (NSA) as part of a surveillance program authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The wiretaps were reportedly conducted in 2016, before Manafort joined the Trump campaign, and continued into 2017, after he had left the campaign.

The wiretaps were part of a broader investigation into Manafort's business dealings and potential ties to Russian officials. The investigation was led by the FBI and the Department of Justice, and it was authorized by a FISA warrant that was issued in June 2016.

The existence of the wiretaps was first reported by The New York Times in October 2017, and it was later confirmed by other news outlets. The wiretaps were reportedly used to gather evidence of Manafort's communications with Russian officials and other individuals who were suspected of being involved in Russian interference in the election.

It's worth noting that the wiretaps were not specifically targeted at Manafort's communications with the Trump campaign, but rather at his broader business dealings and potential ties to Russia. The investigation into Manafort's activities was separate from the investigation into Russian interference in the election, although the two investigations did overlap in some ways.

Overall, the wiretaps on Manafort were part of a broader effort by the US government to gather intelligence on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and to investigate potential ties between Trump campaign officials and Russian officials.