FBI reopens probe into Clinton emails following discovery on sexting congressman's device
The FBI has reopened its investigation into White House frontrunner Hillary Clinton's personal email server after discovering new mails "that appear to be pertinent" during an investigation into a congressman disgraced by several sexting scandal.
VIDEO FBI drops bombshell on Hillary Clinton. Source: Seven News
The emails were found on a seized electronic device belonging to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and related to an FBI investigation into her estranged husband Anthony Weiner, the New York Times reports.
The bureau is investigating Weiner, a former congressman from New York, over illicit text messages allegedly sent to a 15-year-old girl.
Abedin announced earlier this year that she would divorce Weiner, a former congressman whose career has been rocked by multiple sexting scandals.
FBI director James Comey said his agency would take "appropriate investigative steps" to decide whether a new batch of mails contained classified information "as well as to assess their importance to the investigation."
- Top Clinton aide dumps disgraced politician husband Anthony Weiner after yet another sexting scandal
Clinton's Republican rival Donald Trump immediately jumped on the news, praising the FBI for reviewing its decision to close the inquiry and arguing that the Democrat's use of a private email server while in office should disqualify her from the presidency.
"We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office," Trump told cheering crowds at a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.
"I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the Department of Justice are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made," he declared.
Comey made his announcement in a letter to House and Senate committee leaders whom he had previously briefed that the FBI investigation was complete and had found no evidence Clinton broke the law.
Writing to "supplement" this assessment, he told lawmakers that "in connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation."
John Podesta, the chairman of Clinton’s campaign, released a statement calling for the FBI to release more details about its announcement while questioning its timing.
"FBI Director Comey should immediately provide the American public more information than is contained in the letter he sent to eight Republican committee chairmen," the statement said.
"Already, we have seen characterizations (sic) that the FBI is ‘reopening’ an investigation but Comey’s words do not match that characterization.
"Director Comey’s letter refers to emails that have come to light in an unrelated case, but we have no idea what those emails are and the Director himself notes they may not even be significant.
"It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election."
"It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election."
No comments:
Post a Comment