 "James Comey: FBI director who shook Hillary Clinton")
Federal investigators have secured a warrant to examine newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton's private server as a prominent Democrat accused Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey of breaking the law by trying to influence the election. The warrant will allow the FBI to examine the emails to see if they are relevant to its probe of the private email server used for government work by Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.
The unexpected turn in the email controversy shook financial markets' conviction of a Clinton victory in the election and the US dollar slipped against major currencies in early trade on Monday.
James B Comey, the FBI director has been in the limelight for reopening the probe, which according to many reports is an unprecedented action just few days before the US presidential elections results. His actions have received backlash from Democrats as well as Republicans alike, except from Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump, which many news reports say could alter an election course.
According to rollingstone.com, he sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday informing them of the discovery of new information that might be relevant to the FBI's previous probe of Clinton's private email server.
The Atlantic says: the emails in question turned up during an investigation into former Representative Anthony Weiner for allegedly sexting a 15-year old in North Carolina. Weiner’s estranged wife is top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and apparently the emails in question were on a shared laptop. It further added that there’s no clear figure on how many emails there are, no idea whether there are new emails not previously reviewed, and no sense of how likely it is that there’s anything that would change Comey’s pronouncement in July that he did not recommend charges against Clinton for her use of a private email server and address. In fact, the FBI didn’t even get a warrant to look at the emails until Sunday.
So, who is James B Comey?
More From This Section
Comey was a career prosecutor, who graduated from the College of William & Mary and the University of Chicago Law School. CNN says he was a registered Republican for many years, but was made the FBI director by the Obama administration. According to rollingstone.com, he was a donor for John McCain's and Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
Hillary defiant:
CNN reported that the Clinton campaign is shaken over reopening of the email probe. The Atlantic said: Coming with several polls showing a slightly tighter race, it suddenly looked like the Clinton campaign might be falling apart at the seams, and that Trump had a renewed chance. It quoted Clinton as saying, “It’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, it’s not just strange; it’s unprecedented and it is deeply troubling.”
Trump all praises for Comey
According to a PTI report, Trump welcomed the FBI director's move. "I have to give the FBI credit. That was so bad what happened originally. It took guts for Director Comey to make the move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had where they're trying to protect her from criminal prosecution. You know that. It took a lot of guts,"said Trump
According to CNN, Trump said he is sure that something devastating is present in the emails, and he also thanked Huma Abedin.
But the Obama Administration took a neutral stand. PTI quoted the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest as saying, "Will neither defend or criticise FBI decision on Clinton."
Probe against Comey?
There may be a possible probe against Director Comey, according to The Guardian. It added that The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent federal investigative agency, cited longstanding policy in neither confirming nor denying any existence of investigation into Comey for violating the Hatch Act, a law designed to prevent federal officeholders from abusing their power to influence an election.
On Saturday, Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer in George W Bush’s White House, filed an official complaint against Comey with the office, and then disclosed it in an op-ed. “In general, OSC opens a case after receiving a complaint,” said spokesman Nick Schwellenbach, who would not comment specifically on Comey.
The guardian also says that Comey’s Friday letter to Congress has placed him in an extraordinary political jeopardy.
It goes onto say, Should Clinton win the presidency, she may find herself in a position to determine what the law calls “appropriate action” for an FBI director who is slated to serve until 2023.
Everyone is Angry:
According to the Atlantic, not only the Democrats but many Republicans also criticised the FBI director. Apart from Richard Painter, Gonzales, who was attorney general under George W. Bush and Karl Rove, the former Bush strategist also slammed the FBI's move to reopen the investigation just during the last days of the election campaign.
The Huffington Post says, dozens Of former Federal prosecutors signed an open letter criticising Comey.
The Atlantic adds, even liberal writers like Paul Krugman unleashed broadsides, accusing Comey of attempting to aid the Republican Party.
Lone Fox:
The Atlantic says that Comey infuriated Republicans by not recommending charges against Clinton in July, and some who are enjoying Clinton’s struggles may, as a result, be less likely to leap to Comey’s defense.
It quoted a FBI official as saying, "Comey took a different approach toward releasing information about the discovery of emails on a laptop that was used by former congressman Anthony Weiner and his estranged wife Huma Abedin.