Hillary Clinton claimed Monday that the FBI has “no case” after it announced last week it is reviewing additional emails found on a computer shared by the Democratic nominee’s top aide, Huma Abedin.
“I’m sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about. And why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go,” Clinton said at a campaign rally in Kent, Ohio.
“That’s a good question,” she added as the crowd loudly booed the mention of the FBI.
She continued, saying, “And first of all, for those of you who are concerned about my using personal email, I understand. And as I’ve said, I’m not making excuses. I’ve said it was a mistake. And I regret it.”
“Now they apparently want to look at emails of one of my staffers,” Clinton said, referencing longtime confidante Huma Abedin, “and by all means, they should look at them.”
“And I am sure they will reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the last year,” the Democratic nominee said, turning her attention to the FBI’s earlier investigation of the private and unauthorized homebrew server she maintained when she worked at the State Department.
Clinton concluded to cheers, “There is no case here!”
FBI Director James Comey informed Democratic and Republican lawmakers Friday that a separate investigation of Abedin’s estranged husband, disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, turned up additional emails possibly related to the bureau’s earlier investigation of the private server Clinton maintained when she worked at the State Department.
The additional emails were found on a laptop shared by Weiner and Huma Abedin.
The laptop may contain as many as 1,000 emails, which FBI agents are checking now to see if they’re related to official government work, if they’re are classified, or if they’re simply duplicates of emails authorities already processed, the Washington Post reported.
The emails numbered “more than 1,000,” including some that may be conversations between Clinton and Abedin, the Post noted. The New York Times indicated separately that the number of emails was several thousand emails, adding that investigators are working now sort it all out.
“A senior law enforcement official said that tens of thousands of emails belonging to Ms. Abedin were backed up on Mr. Weiner’s computer, which the F.B.I. had obtained as part of its investigation into Mr. Weiner,” the Times wrote.
The Times report added, “Mr. Comey said in his letter to Congress that he did not know how long it would take to review the emails. Law enforcement officials said they did not know if and how many were duplicates of emails discovered in the earlier investigation.”
The Post also stressed that it’s too early to say whether the emails are significant, or whether some or all of them are duplicates of emails they’ve already seen.
On Monday, Clinton downplayed the story as she assured voters that that there’s nothing to it.
“I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this,” Clinton told supporters in Ohio.
