FBI Director James Comey abruptly announced Sunday that a review of newly discovered emails sent or received by Hillary Clinton has not changed his conclusion that the Democratic candidate should not face criminal charges. His announcement came in a letter to congressional lawmakers two days before election day.
Comey said the FBI has worked “around the clock to process and review a large number of emails” obtained from a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former congressman and estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. He said the review has not changed the bureau’s assessment from earlier this year that Clinton should not be prosecuted for her handling of classified information at the State Department.
“I am very grateful to the professionals at the FBI for doing an extraordinary amount of high-quality work in a short period of time,” Comey said.
Clinton’s press secretary, Brian Fallon, responded on Twitter.
“We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed it.”
We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed ithttps://t.co/BMQQx9eRzw
The new review has roiled the presidential campaign in its final days, shattering what had appeared to be Clinton’s solid grip on the race and emboldening Republican Donald Trump. During a campaign stop earlier Sunday, Trump warned that Clinton would be under investigation as president, prompting an “unprecedented constitutional crisis.”