SocraticGadfly: The #OctoberSurprise has landed — FBI reopens #ClintonEmail probe

October 28, 2016

The #OctoberSurprise has landed — FBI reopens #ClintonEmail probe

Very, very interesting.

This:
FBI director James Comey has said the bureau is reopening its investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.
Investigators have discovered new emails "in connection with an unrelated case... that appear to be pertinent to the investigation", he said.
Mr Comey said investigators would determine whether the emails contain classified information.
I wonder what the "unrelated case" is, first of all.

Second, I wonder how big a deal it is.

Third, I wonder if Comey was prodded by wingnut GOPers, was sandbagging Clinton all along, was mad at the sandbagging BY Clinton he discovered after first shutting the things down, or what.

Certainly, even if the "unrelated case" is not that big, if Comey felt he was sandbagged, he would be wanting to use something like this for a pound of flesh in revenge.

And, per the NYT, Comey says he doesn't know how long this investigation will take. That's a downer for Trump, as Comey's not guaranteeing any results before Nov. 8, but it's also a downer for Clinton, who doesn't know if maybe he won't release something before then, but with little pre-election time for her to spin.

And, we know now that the new emails were uncovered during an investigation of electronic devices used by the notorious Anthony Weiner. Specific, they're related to his allegedly sexting a 15-year-old girl.

As for motivation? Especially given that he's right that Comey could have had any job he wanted in the Clinton Administration, a month ago, Ken Silverstein wonders if this is part of some sort of plea deal by Weiner, and via wife and Hillary BFF Huma Abedin, he's really got some goods.

Update: I hate to be siding with Hillary Clinton, but per Comey's new comments about the details, or lack of them, it sounds like he should have kept his yap shut until, oh, Monday? I mean, how can you say "they appear to be pertinent" while in the next breath, the FBI acknowledges it doesn't know ANY of the details of their contents?

And, it sounds like maybe Ken's spitballing might not be so on target?

Update 2: Per friend Brains, the reveal ... especially with Comey's waffle ... is unlikely to influence many likely Democratic voters. Indirectly per Brains, many early votes are already banked, too.

Getcha popcorn!

===

Update, May 14, 2019: Former Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein has turned both barrels on Comey, calling him a "partisan pundit" who trampled "bright lines that should never be crossed."

The specific target of his ire is how Comey handled reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails adn server after then-AG Loretta Lynch had had her conflict-of-interest inducing meeting with Bill Clinton on the Phoenix tarmac.

Rosenstein is totally right. It was grandstanding, as I said at the time, and not SOP, either. Then-Assistant AG Sally Yates should have been contacted by Comey and she should have been asked to get Lynch to officially recuse herself, then take over.

Rosenstein said he would have handled Comey's firing differently had it been just him, not Trump, but that Comey deserved to be fired.

He did.

Period and end of story, Donut Twitter and Resistance.

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