The FBI agents investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server knew weeks ago that the thousands of emails they found in a separate investigation would be applicable to the case.
The agents waited weeks to disclose what they found in a briefing with FBI Director James Comey, according to sources familiar with the case, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.
Comey said he knew of the development on Thursday, and sent a letter to legislators on Friday, Oct. 28, to let them know that he thought the agents should take “appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails.”
The timing of the disclosure being 11 days before an election has placed Comey under intense criticism by Democrats, while emboldening Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign to conclude that the findings mean Clinton is guilty of criminal actions.
Clinton campaign officials and Democrats questioned why Comey would have signed off on disclosing the information this close to the election, especially when he had not reviewed the newly found emails himself, and it is unknown what they contain.
In his letter to member of Congress sent Friday, Comey said “we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails.” In addition, federal law enforcement officials said over the weekend that the agents investigating Clinton have not reviewed them thoroughly, according to the Post. A report by Yahoo! News reported on Saturday that they still need to acquire a warrant to do so.
The emails were found on a laptop shared by former congressman Anthony Weiner of New York and his estranged wife Huma Abedin, who is vice chair of Clinton’s campaign. Abedin has told people she is close to that she has no idea why the emails would be on that computer, according to new accounts.
The over 1,000 emails found on the computer were found by agents investigating a scandal involving sexting by Weiner with a number of women.
Comey had recommended in July that the case involving Clinton’s use of private server to receive confidential emails while she was Secretary of State be closed and that no charges be brought by the Justice Department.
On Saturday, news broke that Attorney General Loretta Lynch had asked Comey not bring up the newly discovered emails.
