# FBI is re-opening investigation into Clinton's email **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 28, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950 "2016-10-28T17:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/241 "2016-10-29T16:51:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The public should have considered this back during the primaries. The email scandal was well reported. Two deeply flawed candidates were chosen. Now we have to face the consequences. Good time to keep things in perspective then, as others mentioned there is no clue if this email issue is significant. Now, about Trump significant flaws with the law: > **[How 75 pending lawsuits could distract a Donald Trump presidency](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/10/25/pending-lawsuits-donald-trump-presidency/92666382/)** > > Two weeks before Election Day, dozens of the 4,000-plus lawsuits involving Trump and his businesses remain open. > [@](#): > > How 75 pending lawsuits could distract a Donald Trump presidency > > Two weeks before Election Day, dozens of the 4,000-plus lawsuits involving Trump and his businesses remain open. > > Trump faces significant open litigation tied to his businesses: angry members at his Jupiter, Fla. golf course say they were cheated out of refunds on their dues and a former employee at the same club claims she was fired after reporting sexual harassment. There’s a fraud case brought by Trump University students who say the mogul’s company ripped them off for tens of thousands in tuition for a sham real estate course. > > Trump is also defending lawsuits tied to his campaign. A disgruntled GOP political consultant sued for $4 million saying Trump defamed her. Another suit, a class action, says the campaign violated consumer protection laws by sending unsolicited text messages. > > If elected, the open lawsuits will tag along with Trump. He would not be entitled to immunity, and could be required to give depositions or even testify in open court. That could chew up time and expose a litany of uncomfortable private and business dealings to the public. > > One Trump case, over non-payment of tips to caterers at Trump SoHo Hotel in New York City, is scheduled to go to trial a week before Election Day. > > Even in the waning days of the campaign, in a speech Saturday in Gettysburg outlining his first actions if he wins the White House, Trump threatened to sue all of the women who’ve accused him of unwanted sexual advances, saying all of them are lying. > > Chapter 1 > Potential conflicts of interest? > > The open cases raise questions about potential conflicts of interest that could become difficult for Trump to navigate. > > For instance, could his judicial appointments be influenced by his own court cases? This summer, he attacked a federal judge who is presiding over the lawsuit against Trump University, saying District Judge Gonzalo Curiel is biased against Trump because the judge is of Mexican descent and Trump proposes a “great wall” along the Mexican border. > > Another potential issue: Would lawyers, parties in cases and even judges seek to curry favor with a powerful individual in a way that might alter the outcome? > > Norm Eisen, who founded the nonpartisan watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in 2003 and later was the top White House ethics lawyer for President Obama in 2009 and 2010, ticked off a series of potential conflicts. > > The lawsuits against Trump University could raise questions about who Trump would appoint as Education secretary, Eisen said. “Somebody with favor to for-profit colleges?” [More in the USA Today article] Yeah, the issues are so numerous that the article has chapters. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/242 "2016-10-29T16:56:42Z")
Comey did what he had to by informing Congress. Facts changed that possibly could alter his sworn testimony. That said, didn’t anyone else find it incredible that he had to notify eight (8 !!) committee chairmen? That many “investigations” (witch hunts) of Hillary? Good grief. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/243 "2016-10-29T16:56:45Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > You don’t call the director of the FBI a dirty cop and get away with it, like Trump did and some of his other agents. > > Comey is just doing his job and his explanation is good enough for me … whatever this is he didn’t want it to become a circus after the election. Well, he didn’t want the FBI to be open to accusations of a ‘cover up’ with whatever constitutional nonsense the GOP would troll with for literally years. It seems to make absolute sense for the FBI, in seemingly doing the correct thing, to take the hit now. This is obv something they would have pondered very long and very hard, and then pondered some more. At the end of the day, as Director these are the calls you get paid to make. tbh, I’m trying to figure out what HRC did wrong in principle. I guess the FBI are rightly interested in the actual content. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/244 "2016-10-29T17:01:45Z")
Did Comey “go rogue”? Numerous articles suggesting that Justice/Lynch was very clear on their policy about this sort of thing, and he ignored it. Did he even tell Lynch what he was up to? Was he _supposed_ to? > **[Comey notified Congress of email probe despite DOJ concerns | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/28/politics/fbi-reviewing-new-emails-in-clinton-probe-director-tells-senate-judiciary-committee/index.html)** > > Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates disagreed with FBI Director James Comey's decision to notify Congress about his bureau's review of emails potentially related to Hillary Clinton's personal server, law enforcement... One of several, pretty much the same. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/245 "2016-10-29T17:36:53Z")
As others have said, we are in unprecedented territory. We’ve never had a Presidential candidate under criminal investigation only days before the election. Can you imagine the “oh shit” moment when investigators found this material on Weiner and Huma’s shared laptop? This had to be reported up the chain of command. All the way to the Director of the FBI. I wouldn’t want to be the low level agent bringing that bad news to my supervisor. This could end a lot of careers if it’s much ado about nothing. That’s why I think they have already checked some of those emails. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/246 "2016-10-29T17:58:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Did Comey “go rogue”? Numerous articles suggesting that Justice/Lynch was very clear on their policy about this sort of thing, and he ignored it. > > _ **Did he even tell Lynch what he was up to?** _ > > Was he _supposed_ to? Yes, he did, but not in person: [Attorney general disagreed with FBI director's decision to alert Congress to Hillary Clinton-related emails - CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/attorney-general-disagreed-fbi-director-decision-alert-congress-hillary-clinton-related-emails/) > [@](#): > > While the two did not speak directly, the attorney general’s position was made clear to Comey. Comey’s decision to flag the new emails was thus made independent of his boss, the attorney general. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/247 "2016-10-29T18:01:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > …This had to be reported up the chain of command. All the way to the Director of the FBI… … And to Ms. Lynch? She’s in the mix there somewhere, right? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/248 "2016-10-29T18:02:48Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The FBI director doesn’t resign at the beginning of a term though. He’s appointed for a fixed term. 10 years. Which means Comey will serve through Clinton or Trump’s entire administration(well, almost). An FBI director can be fired, but only for cause. He does not just serve at the President’s pleasure as a Cabinet officer does. Comey’s term doesn’t end until 2023. I didn’t know this adaher … I bet a lot of others didn’t know this that say the FBI director is going to be out of there when either party wins. Good point … I would flag this post as very important to the future, but SD doesn’t have a way to flag the best posts, do they? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/249 "2016-10-29T18:05:06Z")
If the statements I have heard are accurate and these E-mails are not to or from Hillary’s server, and that only a handful are pertinent to the case, I would guess that the handful of messages reveal something about intent or knowledge that the FBI did not know before. Perhaps a letter from or to Huma specifically saying they were trying to avoid FOIA requests, or an explicit order from her to have certain hard drives wiped, or something like that. Perhaps it’s evidence that someone like Huma or Cheryl Mills perjured themselves under questioning, and it’s not even directly about Hillary. But if these emails were pertinent enough to warrant this public disclosure but not actually part of the e-mail collection that’s been the focus of the investigation, they must bring some kind of new information to the case. That’s my spitballing guess, anyway, and since none of us know what’s in them, guessing is all we can do. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/250 "2016-10-29T18:08:07Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And to Ms. Lynch? She’s in the mix there somewhere, right? I’m not really sure. I think the FBI Director is independent from the AG? Obviously they have a close working relationship. But AFAIK the AG is not the FBI Directors boss. Maybe others with more information can clarify. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/251 "2016-10-29T18:09:30Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > …I would guess that the handful of messages reveal something about intent or knowledge that the FBI did not know before. … **Sam**? Comey says he doesn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/252 "2016-10-29T18:11:47Z")
My opinion is that you guessed wrong. When the facts come out, then we’ll see… won’t we? Quote from Sam lost in posting ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/253 "2016-10-29T18:19:42Z")
Comey was very careful to leave himself the possibility of coming back in twelve days and saying, “Yeah, sorry - turns out they were swapping Twilight fanfics. Never mind!” ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/254 "2016-10-29T18:26:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > If the statements I have heard are accurate and these E-mails are not to or from Hillary’s server, and that only a handful are pertinent to the case, I would guess that the handful of messages reveal something about intent or knowledge that the FBI did not know before. Perhaps a letter from or to Huma specifically saying they were trying to avoid FOIA requests, or an explicit order from her to have certain hard drives wiped. I don’t see how blocking FOIA requests could have anything to do with it. Pretty much all departments do that to some degree and that issue wasn’t part of the investigation, afaik. The idea that they might have found an email saying “make sure you destroy those files before the FBI gets them” is pretty much fantasy land speculation. You say that shit in person not over email. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/255 "2016-10-29T18:28:13Z")
I’m surprised Hillary didn’t dump/distance herself from Huma at the very first sign of trouble from that asshole Weiner. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/256 "2016-10-29T19:00:23Z")
Trump spokesman says that the stuff must be serious evidence because…wait for it!..otherwise Comey wouldn’t have released it like he did! ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/257 "2016-10-29T19:16:29Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Maybe others with more information can clarify. No, please, keep going. I enjoy posts that start off with “I don’t know how this works” and then go on to explain how things work, only to conclude with “I hope someone else knows how this works.” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/258 "2016-10-29T19:19:52Z")
There’s a good chance some of Hillary’s missing emails will be found on Huma’s laptop. Hillary testified to Congress that only personal emails were deleted from her personal server. It could be very incriminating if that laptop has work related emails that weren’t previously turned over to the FBI. A few discrepancies could be explained away as honest mistakes. More than that might indicate something much more serious. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/259 "2016-10-29T19:21:52Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > As others have said, we are in unprecedented territory. > > We’ve never had a Presidential candidate under criminal investigation only days before the election. I’m starting to understand how Trump can prosper when people who have factual information right in front of them on their computer screens still think this, and even write about it. You just have to wonder WTF is going on. Is there some kind of mass pollution of the population? ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/260 "2016-10-29T19:26:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m not really sure. > > I think the FBI Director is independent from the AG? Obviously they have a close working relationship. But AFAIK the AG is not the FBI Directors boss. The attorney general is the head of the Department of Justice and the FBI is one of the law enforcement agencies within the DOJ. The FBI director reports to the Chief Deputy Attorney General (essentially the XO of the DOJ) and also reports to the Director of National Intelligence, given the FBI’s counter-terrorism and counter-espionage functions. But, Comey has some job security since he, like the AG, was appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, but for a 10 year term in 2013. So, if he were given an order by the AG, he would likely be expected to obey, but it appears he was merely advised and not ordered not to notfiy Congress and Comey appears to have thought he had an obligation to do so anyway given his earlier testimony and public recommendation on the matter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=14)