Senate Democrats Demand Answers From FBI Director Comey

Four Senate Democrats wrote a letter to FBI Director James Comey demanding more information about new emails he said were “pertinent” to the investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s private server investigation that many believed had been closed in July.

“Nearly four months ago, Director Comey announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would not recommend criminal charges related to Secretary Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, stating that no reasonable prosecutor would move forward with a criminal case and that his decision was ‘not a close call,’” stated the letter, signed by four U.S. Senators, including Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California.

“Yet, on Friday [Oct. 28], Director Comey sent a letter to Congress, in which he indicated that the FBI learned of the existence of emails in an unrelated case that appear to be pertinent to the investigation of former Secretary Hillary Clinton’s personal email server,” the letter continues. “Director Comey also indicated that he had authorized agents to ‘take appropriate investigative steps’ to determine whether they contain classified information, and whether they are important to the investigation.

This letter is troubling because it is vaguely worded and leaves so many questions unanswered.” Since Comey’s announcement of the new emails, Democrats have been in an uproar, going so far as to suggest that the FBI Director, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, is attempting to help Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by releasing this information so close to the election. Democratic Sen. Harry Reid went so far as to suggest that Comey was sitting on evidence that would prove Trump is “coordinating” with Russian intelligence officials.

But Comey has indeed released little information other than that there are more emails to look at to make a final determination as to whether Clinton broke the law when she sent, received, and stored classified information through a private email server. And Democrats want more information to clear their presidential nominee “[N]o later than Monday 31 October 2016.” “Unfortunately, Director Comey’s letter has been misunderstood,” the letter, also signed by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Connecticut and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, stated.

“It is already being used for political purposes, creating a misleading impression regarding the FBI’s intent and actions. We strongly believe that it is incumbent on the FBI and Department of Justice to act without delay to dispel any misleading impressions about the emails that have been newly identified, as well as their importance ― or lack thereof ― to the previous investigation involving Secretary Clinton.” Sources: United States Senate via Hufffington Post, Sen. Harry Reid/ Photo Credit: Rich Girard/Flickr