The political world was stunned when news broke proving Barack Obama had spied on Donald Trump and Trump Tower.
But that same leak had even bigger consequences.
It drove a dagger through the heart of the “Russian collusion” conspiracy theory.
When CNN broke the news that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was under surveillance before and after the 2016 election, the immediate reaction was Trump supporters pointing out it proved Trump’s claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.
Manafort maintained a residence at Trump Tower and regularly spoke with Trump during this time period.
The fake news stories that Trump lied about Obama were exposed as garbage, but no one in the media apologized for misleading the American people.
But the story could produce an even bigger political earthquake.
The second FISA warrant against Manafort was obtained because Obama’s intelligence community was desperate to find evidence of collusion with Russia.
CNN’s own reporting found that the wiretaps produced no evidence of any collusion:
“Some of the intelligence collected includes communications that sparked concerns among investigators that Manafort had encouraged the Russians to help with the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. Two of these sources, however, cautioned that the evidence is not conclusive.”
Manafort responded to the leak by demanding an investigation.

The leak of the existence of a FISA warrant is a felony.
He also insisted the Department of Justice make the intercepts public so everyone can see for themselves that he never colluded with the Russians.
The Daily Caller reports:
“Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is calling on the Justice Department to release transcripts of any intercepted communications he may have had with foreigners.
Manafort, a longtime Republican political consultant, also called on the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate the leak of details of secret surveillance warrants obtained by U.S. investigators.
“Mr. Manafort requests that the Department of Justice release any intercepts involving him and any non-Americans so interested parties can come to the same conclusion as the DOJ — there is nothing there,” Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni said in a statement.”
The media thought this leak would bury Trump by highlighting the serious legal jeopardy Manafort was in.
If the government obtained not one, but two FISA warrants to spy on him, then he must be a next level criminal mastermind.
But that quickly blew up in their faces.
Not only did the reporting vindicate Trump’s claim that Obama had spied on him, but it also put to bed the idea that Manafort worked in concert with Moscow to steal the 2016 election.
We will keep you up to date on any new developments in this story.