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Clinton and Trump camps duel over FBI director's late email revelation Clinton and Trump camps duel over FBI director's late email revelation
(35 minutes later)
Top officials for the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns on Sunday dueled over the revelation that the FBI had found new emails, potentially related to its closed investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server.Top officials for the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns on Sunday dueled over the revelation that the FBI had found new emails, potentially related to its closed investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server.
John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, assailed FBI director James Comey for defying convention in choosing to resurrect the specter of his agency’s investigation without much detail, so close to election day.John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, assailed FBI director James Comey for defying convention in choosing to resurrect the specter of his agency’s investigation without much detail, so close to election day.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said the FBI director’s decision to write to congressional officials announcing the find showed Clinton was “unfit to be president based on her constant flouting of the law”.Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said the FBI director’s decision to write to congressional officials announcing the find showed Clinton was “unfit to be president based on her constant flouting of the law”.
“This was an unprecedented action,” said Podesta on CNN’s State of the Union, echoing what has become the Clinton campaign’s official defense, and the content of reports that said attorney general Loretta Lynch and deputy attorney general Sally Yates had warned Comey not to make the findings public.“This was an unprecedented action,” said Podesta on CNN’s State of the Union, echoing what has become the Clinton campaign’s official defense, and the content of reports that said attorney general Loretta Lynch and deputy attorney general Sally Yates had warned Comey not to make the findings public.
“The justice department has had a longstanding tradition of not interfering with elections,” Podesta said.“The justice department has had a longstanding tradition of not interfering with elections,” Podesta said.
Podesta added that Comey’s letter to congressional officials was “long on innuendo and short on facts”, and cited a report by Yahoo News that the FBI, lacking a warrant, had yet to read the emails before Comey issued his Friday letter.Podesta added that Comey’s letter to congressional officials was “long on innuendo and short on facts”, and cited a report by Yahoo News that the FBI, lacking a warrant, had yet to read the emails before Comey issued his Friday letter.
The CNN host Jake Tapper countered that law enforcement sources had told CNN that they were familiar with the emails’ contents.The CNN host Jake Tapper countered that law enforcement sources had told CNN that they were familiar with the emails’ contents.
“We’re calling on Mr Comey to come forward and explain what’s at issue here,” Podesta said. “It may not even be about her server. It may not be about her at all.”“We’re calling on Mr Comey to come forward and explain what’s at issue here,” Podesta said. “It may not even be about her server. It may not be about her at all.”
He added: “[Comey] said himself in his letter to the hill that these emails may not be significant.”He added: “[Comey] said himself in his letter to the hill that these emails may not be significant.”
Four senior Senate Democrats – Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, Ben Cardin and Thomas Carper – have written to Comey and Lynch, demanding a briefing on the new emails by Monday.Four senior Senate Democrats – Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, Ben Cardin and Thomas Carper – have written to Comey and Lynch, demanding a briefing on the new emails by Monday.
With only nine days left until the election, Conway followed her candidate in hailing Comey for disclosing a potential bombshell.With only nine days left until the election, Conway followed her candidate in hailing Comey for disclosing a potential bombshell.
“Had he sat on the information,” she told CNN, “one could argue that he also would have been interfering with the election, by not disclosing to the public that yet again, for the second time this year, Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation for something of her own doing.“Had he sat on the information,” she told CNN, “one could argue that he also would have been interfering with the election, by not disclosing to the public that yet again, for the second time this year, Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation for something of her own doing.
“She is unfit to be president based on her constant flouting of the law.”“She is unfit to be president based on her constant flouting of the law.”
Appearing later on ABC’s This Week, she called the new revelations part of “a cloud of corruption that follows Hillary Clinton around.”
“This plays right into [voters’] reluctance to support Hillary Clinton,” she said.
On Friday, Comey told members of Congress the FBI had potentially discovered new emails linked to the investigation of a private email server Clinton used while she was secretary of state.On Friday, Comey told members of Congress the FBI had potentially discovered new emails linked to the investigation of a private email server Clinton used while she was secretary of state.
The emails belong to Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide, and surfaced during a separate investigation into Abedin’s estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Weiner is under investigation for allegations that he sent sexual messages to an underage girl.The emails belong to Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide, and surfaced during a separate investigation into Abedin’s estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Weiner is under investigation for allegations that he sent sexual messages to an underage girl.
The FBI spent months investigating whether Clinton’s use of a private server violated any laws. This summer, Comey announced that his agency had found no evidence of lawbreaking, but said Clinton’s handling of sensitive government information had been “extremely careless”.The FBI spent months investigating whether Clinton’s use of a private server violated any laws. This summer, Comey announced that his agency had found no evidence of lawbreaking, but said Clinton’s handling of sensitive government information had been “extremely careless”.
“It’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information just days before an election,” said Clinton on Saturday, in response to Comey’s Friday letter.“It’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information just days before an election,” said Clinton on Saturday, in response to Comey’s Friday letter.
“In fact, it’s not just strange. It’s unprecedented and it is deeply troubling.”“In fact, it’s not just strange. It’s unprecedented and it is deeply troubling.”
Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine, said he expected Comey to reach the same conclusion – that Clinton’s actions were not criminal – in light of these new emails.
“This is a distraction,” he said on ABC, adding that Comey’s announcement was “in violation of normal Justice Department protocol, and it involves talking about an ongoing investigation, which also violated protocol.
“It’s just extremely puzzling why you would break these two protocols … when you haven’t even seen the emails yourself.”
Clinton campaign members were tight-lipped on what Abedin may have told them about the emails that surfaced in the investigation of her estranged husband. Reports said Abedin did not know about the emails until Friday.