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Hillary's October Surprise has arrived, with just over a week left till Nov 8. Though early voting has commenced, the newly launched FBI probe (see below) will certainly damage her chances.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...1e9468-9d31-11e6-9980-50913d68eacb_story.html
Newly discovered emails found on a computer seized during an investigation of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner thrust the controversy over Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server back into the presidential campaign less than two weeks before the election.
Officials said the discovery prompted a surprise announcement Friday by FBI Director James B. Comey that the agency would once again be examining emails related to Clinton’s time as secretary of state.
In a letter to lawmakers, Comey said the FBI would take “appropriate investigative steps” to determine whether the newly discovered emails contain classified information and to assess whether they are relevant to the Clinton server probe.
The emails, numbering more than 1,000, were found on a computer used by both Weiner (D-N.Y.) and his wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, according to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the inquiry who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The correspondence included emails between Abedin and Clinton, according to a law enforcement official.
Federal officials have been examining sexually suggestive online messages Weiner allegedly exchanged with a teenage girl. The link to the Weiner investigation was first reported by the New York Times.
Comey’s announcement appears to resume the FBI’s probe of Clinton’s server, which previously ended in July with no charges.
The announcement could reshape a presidential race that Clinton, the Democratic nominee, has been leading in most public polls. It was immediately hailed by Republican nominee Donald Trump, who told supporters at a New Hampshire rally that “perhaps, finally, justice will be done.” The crowd responded with pumped fists and chants of “Lock her up! Lock her up!”
Clinton told reporters Friday night in Iowa that she learned of the newly discovered emails only after the letter to Congress was made public.
“I’m confident whatever [the emails] are will not change the conclusion reached in July,” she said. “Therefore, it’s imperative that the bureau explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay.”
Asked about the connection to Weiner, Clinton said: “We’ve heard these rumors. We don’t know what to believe.”
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https://www.ft.com/content/a364f244-9d4f-11e6-a6e4-8b8e77dd083a
Fiction is dead. Nothing like this has happened on the eve of any other US presidential election. It is one thing for the FBI to say it is looking at fresh evidence in the Clinton email investigation. It is quite another if it came from a device owned by Anthony Weiner, the disgraced and estranged husband of Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s closest aide. If it were not so grave — within minutes prediction markets were downgrading Mrs Clinton’s chances of victory — we would be reaching for our virtual reality headsets.
Hysteria now reigns — and will do so right up to polling day.
Two facts are worth holding on to amid the hyperventilation. The first is that the FBI is highly unlikely to come up with any findings before November 8. Mrs Clinton’s campaign has accused James Comey of reckless interference in the closing stages of the election but the FBI director would have been held guilty for reckless non-interference by Republicans had he withheld this information until after polling day. It is hard to see how he could avoid crucifixion by one or other side.
Second, whatever way you look at it, this is bad news for Mrs Clinton. The expanded FBI investigation may come to naught. Leaks to NBC News confirmed that the emails had not been sent by Mrs Clinton, nor had they been withheld from the FBI. Yet the legal facts of the case are secondary.
This bombshell has dropped just 11 days before the election at a time when Mrs Clinton’s lead had started to narrow. It can only reinforce the electorate’s doubts about her trustworthiness, which is the Democratic candidate’s biggest Achilles heel. It will also rejuvenate Mr Trump’s flagging campaign. His goal is to suppress Mrs Clinton’s turnout by hammering on her character weaknesses. The FBI just gave him a leg up.
It is entirely possible there will be pre-election leaks about the nature of the emails — that they included classified information Ms Abedin inadvertently passed on to Mr Weiner, for example — which could further damage Mrs Clinton. It is also possible that Mr Comey will face pressure from the Clinton campaign to make it clear he will not reverse his decision to forgo criminal prosecution of Mrs Clinton.
The timing could not be more consequential. Never before have a government official’s actions had the ability to change the direction of a US presidential election. Meanwhile, here is what Mr Trump tweeted last year: “Huma Abedin, the top aide to Hillary Clinton and wife to major perv Anthony Weiner, was a major security risk as a collector of info … ”
To underline, you could not make this up.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. All rights reserved. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...1e9468-9d31-11e6-9980-50913d68eacb_story.html
Newly discovered emails found on a computer seized during an investigation of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner thrust the controversy over Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server back into the presidential campaign less than two weeks before the election.
Officials said the discovery prompted a surprise announcement Friday by FBI Director James B. Comey that the agency would once again be examining emails related to Clinton’s time as secretary of state.
In a letter to lawmakers, Comey said the FBI would take “appropriate investigative steps” to determine whether the newly discovered emails contain classified information and to assess whether they are relevant to the Clinton server probe.
The emails, numbering more than 1,000, were found on a computer used by both Weiner (D-N.Y.) and his wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, according to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the inquiry who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The correspondence included emails between Abedin and Clinton, according to a law enforcement official.
Federal officials have been examining sexually suggestive online messages Weiner allegedly exchanged with a teenage girl. The link to the Weiner investigation was first reported by the New York Times.
Comey’s announcement appears to resume the FBI’s probe of Clinton’s server, which previously ended in July with no charges.
The announcement could reshape a presidential race that Clinton, the Democratic nominee, has been leading in most public polls. It was immediately hailed by Republican nominee Donald Trump, who told supporters at a New Hampshire rally that “perhaps, finally, justice will be done.” The crowd responded with pumped fists and chants of “Lock her up! Lock her up!”
Clinton told reporters Friday night in Iowa that she learned of the newly discovered emails only after the letter to Congress was made public.
“I’m confident whatever [the emails] are will not change the conclusion reached in July,” she said. “Therefore, it’s imperative that the bureau explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay.”
Asked about the connection to Weiner, Clinton said: “We’ve heard these rumors. We don’t know what to believe.”
_____________________
https://www.ft.com/content/a364f244-9d4f-11e6-a6e4-8b8e77dd083a
Fiction is dead. Nothing like this has happened on the eve of any other US presidential election. It is one thing for the FBI to say it is looking at fresh evidence in the Clinton email investigation. It is quite another if it came from a device owned by Anthony Weiner, the disgraced and estranged husband of Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s closest aide. If it were not so grave — within minutes prediction markets were downgrading Mrs Clinton’s chances of victory — we would be reaching for our virtual reality headsets.
Hysteria now reigns — and will do so right up to polling day.
Two facts are worth holding on to amid the hyperventilation. The first is that the FBI is highly unlikely to come up with any findings before November 8. Mrs Clinton’s campaign has accused James Comey of reckless interference in the closing stages of the election but the FBI director would have been held guilty for reckless non-interference by Republicans had he withheld this information until after polling day. It is hard to see how he could avoid crucifixion by one or other side.
Second, whatever way you look at it, this is bad news for Mrs Clinton. The expanded FBI investigation may come to naught. Leaks to NBC News confirmed that the emails had not been sent by Mrs Clinton, nor had they been withheld from the FBI. Yet the legal facts of the case are secondary.
This bombshell has dropped just 11 days before the election at a time when Mrs Clinton’s lead had started to narrow. It can only reinforce the electorate’s doubts about her trustworthiness, which is the Democratic candidate’s biggest Achilles heel. It will also rejuvenate Mr Trump’s flagging campaign. His goal is to suppress Mrs Clinton’s turnout by hammering on her character weaknesses. The FBI just gave him a leg up.
It is entirely possible there will be pre-election leaks about the nature of the emails — that they included classified information Ms Abedin inadvertently passed on to Mr Weiner, for example — which could further damage Mrs Clinton. It is also possible that Mr Comey will face pressure from the Clinton campaign to make it clear he will not reverse his decision to forgo criminal prosecution of Mrs Clinton.
The timing could not be more consequential. Never before have a government official’s actions had the ability to change the direction of a US presidential election. Meanwhile, here is what Mr Trump tweeted last year: “Huma Abedin, the top aide to Hillary Clinton and wife to major perv Anthony Weiner, was a major security risk as a collector of info … ”
To underline, you could not make this up.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. All rights reserved. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
