I slept badly last night and feel kind of crappy this morning. I was hoping I could just stare at the ceiling for a while and then put up some catblogging and call it a week. But no. Email mania is back. Here’s the letter FBI Director Jim Comey sent to a rogue’s gallery of committee chairmen this morning regarding its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server:
In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation. I am writing to inform you that the investigative team briefed me on this yesterday, and I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as assess their importance to our investigation.
Although the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work, I believe it is important to update your Committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony.
Translation: We have some emails we got from somewhere. That’s all I can tell you. NBC’s Pete Williams adds this:
NEW: NBC’s Pete Williams reports that the e-mails Comey announced today were NOT originally withheld by Clinton or campaign.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 28, 2016
Pete Williams sources say in course of a separate investigation, FBI came across “a device.” found emails there. but emails NOT from HRC
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) October 28, 2016
Paul Krugman is PISSED:
Comey needs to provide full info immediately. Otherwise he has clearly made a partisan intervention, betraying his office.
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 28, 2016
Journalist Twitter is full of shock at FBI behavior here. That same shock should make it into news reports; not doing so misleads public
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 28, 2016
“We must not let her take her criminal scheme to the Oval Office,” Trump said, adding, “I have great respect that the FBI and Department of Justice have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made. Perhaps finally, justice will be done.”
Wasn’t Trump saying just a few weeks ago that the FBI was hopelessly corrupt and couldn’t be trusted? I’m pretty sure he did.
Bottom line: There are some emails. They aren’t from Hillary Clinton. They weren’t withheld from the investigation. The case isn’t being “reopened.” That is all.
Speaking for myself, I’m willing to back any bet that anyone wants to make that this whole thing is a complete nothing. Republicans will be lathering away for the next 11 days, but there’s no there there.
