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FBI director: new Hillary Clinton emails show no criminal wrongdoing FBI director: new Hillary Clinton emails show no criminal wrongdoing
(about 2 hours later)
The FBI has determined that a new batch of emails apparently related to Hillary Clinton’s private email server “have not changed our conclusion” that she committed no criminal wrongdoing, FBI director James Comey told congressional leaders in a letter on Sunday. The FBI has determined that a new batch of emails linked rr to Hillary Clinton’s private email server “have not changed our conclusion” that she committed no criminal wrongdoing, FBI director James Comey told congressional leaders in a letter on Sunday.
As campaigning continued ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election, a Clinton spokeswoman said the candidate was “glad this matter is resolved”. Clinton’s opponent, Donald Trump, did not immediately address the Comey letter as he spoke at campaign events. As campaigning continued ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election, a Clinton spokeswoman said the candidate was “glad this matter is resolved”.
On 28 October, only 11 days before the presidential election, Comey sent those leaders a letter informing them that agents had discovered emails “that appear pertinent” to the bureau’s months-long investigation into Clinton’s use of a private server while she was secretary of state. The Democratic nominee’s opponent, Donald Trump, reacted with anger at the news, and cast doubt on whether the FBI had even carried out its work. “You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days,” Donald Trump told a campaign rally in Sterling Heights, Michigan on Sunday evening.
On 28 October, only 11 days before the presidential election, Comey sent congressional leaders a letter informing them that agents had discovered emails “that appear pertinent” to a prior investigation, into Clinton’s use of a private server while she was secretary of state. It was later reported that as many as 650,000 such emails were in question.
The move, so close to an election, proved tremendously controversial. In July, Comey had announced that Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless” but that “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring a case against them.The move, so close to an election, proved tremendously controversial. In July, Comey had announced that Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless” but that “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring a case against them.
Writing to Congress on Sunday, Comey said: “Since my letter, the FBI investigative team has been working around the clock to process and review a large volume of emails from a device obtained in connection with an unrelated criminal investigation. “Since my letter, the FBI investigative team has been working around the clock to process and review a large volume of emails from a device obtained in connection with an unrelated criminal investigation,” Comey wrote to Congress on Sunday.
“During that process, we reviewed all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state.”“During that process, we reviewed all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state.”
He concluded: “Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton. I am grateful to the professionals at the FBI for doing an extraordinary amount of high-quality work in a short period of time.” “Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton,” he concluded. “I am grateful to the professionals at the FBI for doing an extraordinary amount of high-quality work in a short period of time.”
Clinton was aboard her campaign plane when the news broke, as was the case with Comey’s first letter nine days ago. Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman for the campaign, made a brief statement to reporters. Clinton was on board her campaign plane when the news broke, as she had been when Comey’s delivered his first letter nine days earlier. As news broke, aides huddled toward the front of the plane, reading from an iPad, and spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri entered Clinton’s cabin, shielded by a curtain, moments before she spoke to the press.
“We are glad to see that [Comey] has found, as we were confident he would, that he has confirmed the conclusions that he reached in July and we are glad that this matter is resolved.” “We are glad to see that [Comey] has found, as we were confident he would, that he has confirmed the conclusions that he reached in July and we are glad that this matter is resolved,” she told reporters.
Aides could be seen huddling toward the front of the plane and reading from an iPad as reports of Comey’s letter came through. Palmieri was seen to enter Clinton’s cabin at very front, shielded by a curtain, moments before she spoke to the press. Leaving the plane in Cleveland, roughly 30 minutes after Comey’s announcement, Clinton did not respond to a reporter’s question about whether she had seen the letter.
Leaving the plane in Cleveland, roughly 30 minutes after Comey’s announcement, Clinton ignored a reporter’s question about whether she had seen the letter. When the letter was released, Trump was speaking in an airplane hangar in Minneapolis, but did not mention the letter to the crowd, instead directing his anger against his Democratic rival.
When the letter was released, Trump was speaking in an airplane hangar in Minneapolis, to deafening cheers from an enthusiastic crowd. He did not mention the letter, instead continuing to rail against his Democratic rival. In Michigan, however, he said: “You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days. Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it. The FBI knows it, the people know it and now it is up for American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on 8 November.”
“Hillary Clinton will be under investigation for a long, long time, likely concluding in an indictment,” he said to loud chants of “lock her up” from the crowd. “It’s a rigged system and she’s perfected it … She’s protected by a rigged system and she shouldn’t be allowed to run for president.” The Republican nominee also insisted that despite Comey’s actions, “the rank and file special agents at the FBI won’t let her get away with her terrible crimes including the deletion of 33,000 emails after receiving a federal subpoena”.
Earlier, Trump told a cheering crowd in Sioux City, Iowa: “There is little doubt FBI director Comey will be able to garner more then enough evidence for indictments against Hillary Clinton despite her efforts to disparage and discredit the FBI.” Trump seemed to be alluding to leaks from within the bureau that revealed acrimony and political rifts within the FBI, after Department of Justice officials expressed surprise that Comey would break with decades of tradition regarding investigations and elections.
He added: “If she were to win, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation we could very well have sitting president under federal indictment and facing criminal trial.” Other leading Republicans tried to dismiss the FBI’s new conclusion. “Some things haven’t changed at all. What FBI director Comey said on 7 July under oath to Congress is still the same: That she was reckless and careless in her handling of information,” Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told MSNBC.
Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told MSNBC: “Some things haven’t changed at all. What FBI director Comey said on 7 July under oath to Congress is still the same. That she was reckless and careless in her handling of information …
“The reason that so many Americans have a problem with Hillary Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness and veracity does not change.”“The reason that so many Americans have a problem with Hillary Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness and veracity does not change.”
The new emails were discovered on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, a former congressman and New York mayoral candidate who is the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a close aide to Clinton. Weiner is under investigation for allegedly exchanging sexually explicit messages with a minor. Republican House speaker Paul Ryan also insisted that the new conclusion should not change any opinions about Clinton. “Regardless of this decision, the undisputed finding of the FBI’s investigation is that Secretary Clinton put our nation’s secrets at risk and in doing so compromised our national security,” he said in a statement. “She simply believes she’s above the law and always plays by her own rules.”
Comey’s first letter surprised both campaigns and cast the FBI into the middle of an acrimonious and volatile race. Senior Democrats accused Comey of political meddling, Clinton said she found the letter “deeply troubling” and Trump gleefully predicted the emails would reveal a corruption scandal “bigger than Watergate”. Although Ryan has endured spats with Trump for months, he urged Americans to vote for the businessman, as he did last week. “Fortunately, the American people have the opportunity to ensure Secretary Clinton never gets her hands on classified information again,” Ryan said. “Let’s bring the Clinton era to an end by voting for Donald Trump on Tuesday.”
Department of Justice officials expressed surprise that Comey would break with decades of tradition regarding investigations and elections. Leaks from within the agency revealed acrimony and political rifts within the FBI, and Comey’s letter appeared to reinvigorate Republican opposition to Clinton. The new emails were discovered on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who is the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a close aide to Clinton. Weiner is under investigation for allegedly exchanging sexually explicit messages with a minor.
Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said on Sunday Comey’s letter should end “once and for all” accusations that Clinton had committed any crime. Comey’s first letter surprised both campaigns and cast the FBI into the middle of an bitter and volatile race. Senior Democrats accused Comey of political meddling, Clinton said she found the letter “deeply troubling” and Trump gleefully predicted the emails would reveal a corruption scandal “bigger than Watergate”.
On Sunday, Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Comey’s letter should end “once and for all” accusations that Clinton had committed any crime.
“While the original letter should never have been sent so close to an election,” Schiff said, “the expeditious review of these emails should put to rest the irresponsible speculation indulged in by the Trump campaign and others.”“While the original letter should never have been sent so close to an election,” Schiff said, “the expeditious review of these emails should put to rest the irresponsible speculation indulged in by the Trump campaign and others.”
Republican House speaker Paul Ryan was unrelenting in his criticism of Clinton, saying in a statement: “Regardless of this decision, the undisputed finding of the FBI’s investigation is that Secretary Clinton put our nation’s secrets at risk and in doing so compromised our national security. She simply believes she’s above the law and always plays by her own rules.”
Ryan, who has endured a difficult relationship with Trump, went on to say: “Fortunately, the American people have the opportunity to ensure Secretary Clinton never gets her hands on classified information again. Let’s bring the Clinton era to an end by voting for Donald Trump on Tuesday.”
The FBI said it had nothing to add to Comey’s letter. Yet while the immediate drama has ended, Comey remains in a precarious position.The FBI said it had nothing to add to Comey’s letter. Yet while the immediate drama has ended, Comey remains in a precarious position.
John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House judiciary committee, signalled political battles to come, saying: “We will have many questions about the FBI’s handling of this investigation.” John Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House judiciary committee, hinted political battles to come, saying: “We will have many questions about the FBI’s handling of this investigation.”
Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat on the Senate intelligence and judiciary committees, said the end of what she called Comey’s “October surprise” made his decision to intervene “even more troubling”. Senator Dianne Feinstein, usually a staunch ally of the security agencies, said the end of what she called Comey’s “October surprise” made his decision to intervene “even more troubling”.
Feinstein called on the justice department to “look at its procedures to prevent similar actions that could influence future elections”.Feinstein called on the justice department to “look at its procedures to prevent similar actions that could influence future elections”.
Kellyanne Conway signalled that fire may be coming Comey’s way from both parties, telling MSNBC: “I immediately thought that he’s mishandled the investigation from the beginning.”