Despite "integrity" of FBI, GOP committee chair still pushing Clinton email probe
Earlier this summer, FBI director James Comey recommended against prosecuting Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server. The latest review of the emails, found while investigating former Congressman Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of a top Hillary Clinton aide, contained mostly duplicates, and nothing to change the outcome of the original investigation.
Comey told Congress Sunday the bureau hasn’t changed its conclusion from July, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues. In the letter, Comey said his agents worked “around the clock” to review over 600,000 emails in nine days by zeroing in on communications “that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State.”
Agents in New York discovered the new emails while investigating Weiner for allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to a minor. Clinton insisted all along that the discovered batch of emails would not yield anything new.
The unexpected update from the FBI meant Clinton staffers were scrambling to read the letter on board the campaign plane Sunday.
“We’re glad that this matter is resolved,” Clinton’s communication director Jennifer Palmieri said.
Comey notified Congress of an investigation on Oct. 28, and faced criticism for announcing the review less than two weeks before the election.
“I believe in the integrity of the FBI. I happen to differ on what the conclusion should actually be,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz said.
Despite the FBI’s analysis, the Republican congressman said more congressional hearings could be on the horizon.
“Regardless of the results of the election, of course we are going to continue to probe this,” Chaffetz said.
The FBI used a computer program to isolate the relevant messages. Dozens of FBI agents, up against the pressure of a rapidly approaching Election Day, were aided by that special software to make the process more efficient.