# 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:** 21
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/401 "2016-10-31T00:01:12Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > An anonymous source verified by Fox News holds about as much weight as a reddit post. Right, because if there was an agent risking his career to say something like that, he’d totally be going on MSNBC to do it. > [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Yeah, a story full of unsubstantiated smears and anonymous sources. The one non-anonymous person who’s commentated on the cases, to congress while under oath, stated that no FBI agent involved in the investigation believed the case should be prosecuted. Your Fox News report quotes a Fox News contributor, retired agents who were not involved in the investigation in any capacity, and anonymous and unverified sources. Well, no shit. You expect an active FBI employee to just go on the record and trash his boss? There have been many reports, for weeks now, of internal dissent in FBI; e.g. > **[FBI agents are ready to revolt over the cozy Clinton probe](https://nypost.com/2016/10/06/fbi-agents-are-ready-to-revolt-over-the-cozy-clinton-probe/)** > > Veteran FBI agents say FBI Director James Comey has permanently damaged the bureau’s reputation for uncompromising investigations with his “cowardly” whitewash of former Secretary of State Hillary … > **[DC Attorney: FBI Never Destroyed Laptops Of Clinton Aides](https://dailycaller.com/2016/10/29/dc-attorney-fbi-never-destroyed-laptops-of-clinton-aides/)** > > Agents within the Federal Bureau of Investigation never destroyed laptops given to them by aides of Hillary Clinton as previously reported, a Washington D.C. lawyer with a source close to the Clinton FBI investigation says. True or not? I dunno. But there clearly has been smoke for awhile. > [@Leaper](#): > > Yeah, I find it difficult to believe that 106+ people, even looking at the same evidence, ALL agreed that there was a prosecutable case, and that even given that, only ONE decided to leak. I agree. Of course, I also doubt that 106+ people looking at the same evidence all agreed that there WASN’T a prosecutable case. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/402 "2016-10-31T00:03:52Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > There is no question that he wrote this letter without anyone in the FBI actually viewing the contents of the emails. His letter stated that. It did not state that. There’s a huge world of difference between saying they “appear to be pertinent” but that they don’t yet know if they’re “significant”–which suggests that they’ve seen the content but haven’t had a chance to determine if it’s classified or that they haven’t reviewed the full context yet–and admitting that they have literally not seen the content of them. It appears that they don’t even know if they are, in fact, “pertinent,” in any meaningful sense of the word. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/403 "2016-10-31T00:08:20Z")
> [@furt](#): > > There have been many reports, for weeks now, of internal dissent in FBI; e.g. > > [FBI agents are ready to revolt over the cozy Clinton probe](http://nypost.com/2016/10/06/fbi-agents-are-ready-to-revolt-over-the-cozy-clinton-probe/) First, it’s the NY Post. Second, it quotes only retired agents who were not involved in the investigation in any way. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/404 "2016-10-31T00:19:53Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > It did not state that. There’s a huge world of difference between saying they “appear to be pertinent” but that they don’t yet know if they’re “significant”–which suggests that they’ve seen the content but haven’t had a chance to determine if it’s classified or that they haven’t reviewed the full context yet–and admitting that they have literally not seen the content of them. > > It appears that they don’t even know if they are, in fact, “pertinent,” in any meaningful sense of the word. He stated explicitly that they had only “learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent” have not reviewed them yet and were taking the steps to able to. Since then it has been made explicit that they only got the court approval to view them themselves over this week end. If they did not “appear to be pertinent” then there would have been no reason for them to be allowed to look at them. They “appear to be pertinent” (which includes in an exculpatory manner" by virtue that the metadata suggests that some might be work-related. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/405 "2016-10-31T00:31:20Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > He stated explicitly that they had only “learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent” have not reviewed them yet and were taking the steps to able to. I don’t know why we’re arguing over what the letter says. It’s short. I don’t think your interpretation, that it conveyed that the FBI hadn’t seen the content, is fair or reasonable. Obviously, YMMV. What we now know is that the FBI actually had the cache for a while before Comey was briefed, which is why the letter references when he learned of them and not when the FBI learned of them. > [@DSeid](#): > > If they did not “appear to be pertinent” then there would have been no reason for them to be allowed to look at them. They “appear to be pertinent” (which includes in an exculpatory manner" by virtue that the metadata suggests that some might be work-related. If you define “pertinent” to stretch beyond legal relevance, then yes. That meaning is not what the letter implied on its face, especially given the context of writing such a letter when he did. (They can get a warrant by alleging facts that suggest that relevant evidence might be found there–they needn’t know in advance that it is pertinent, as Comey’s letter suggested they knew.) ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/406 "2016-10-31T00:34:12Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > There is no question that he wrote this letter without anyone in the FBI actually viewing the contents of the emails. His letter stated that. They are taking the steps to be able to review them. > > In case that is not clear, [here is from the WSJ](http://www.wsj.com/articles/laptop-may-include-thousands-of-emails-linked-to-hillary-clintons-private-server-1477854957): > > To be absolutely explicitly clear. It is not established that _any_ of the emails are even work-related and it will take weeks to determine even that. At the point that Comey wrote his letter there was not even a court order that allowed them to begin a review of the material, just metadata that suggested that some unknown number might be work-related. I would make a theoretical distinction between the FBI having not yet reviewed the content of the emails and the FBI not yet having info on what the emails contain. Another investigative body is reported to have found this device. It is just possible that a rival investigative agency has viewed some of the emails and found something untoward. Yes, I know this is speculation but speculation is what we are left with until more facts come out. What about Huma Abedin’s role in this? She claimed to have told the FBI of all devices she used. If she lied about this then finding any emails on this undisclosed device would be a significant development in itself. If she simply misremembered, or had emails automatically transferred simultaneously to this and other devices then it’s possibly no big deal. Once again it’s all about intent. If these emails are all duplicates then there was probably no intent to deceive. If the emails include codes for the nuclear button or the current hiding place of the real Osama Bin Laden them im going to assume Comey has his intent. ---
**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 31, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/407 "2016-10-31T00:50:40Z")
This is a good explanation of what happened. The child porn scan of the drive searches the entire drive. Dumping everything that might be useful. Images, videos, email addresses and so on. The agents see Clinton and state Dept addresses. They couldn’t go farther with the warrant they had for the Weiner investigation. They got the new warrant today to begin investigating the Clinton material on the drive. > **[Laptop in FBI's Weiner sexting case had 'state.gov,' Clinton-related emails,...](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/laptop-in-fbis-weiner-sexting-case-had-state-gov-clinton-related-emails-source-says)** > > FBI Director James Comey’s decision to revisit the Hillary Clinton email-private server case was triggered by the discovery of Clinton-related emails in a separate sexting investigation involving ex-New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, a... > [@](#): > > The FBI NY team working on the Weiner case has a sophisticated system to detect emails because it was their focus was child pornography and issues related to the sexting case, one of the sources told Fox News. > > However, the team was not authorized at the time of discovery to expand the search. Fox was also told the FBI obtained a warrant to collect evidence, as part of standard procedure. > > A law enforcement source told Fox News earlier Sunday that the New York team told agents involved in the investigation into Clinton using a private server system while secretary of state: “We think we’ve come across some documents pertinent to your investigation." ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/408 "2016-10-31T01:25:31Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > There is no question that he wrote this letter without anyone in the FBI actually viewing the contents of the emails. His letter stated that. They are taking the steps to be able to review them. > > In case that is not clear, [here is from the WSJ](http://www.wsj.com/articles/laptop-may-include-thousands-of-emails-linked-to-hillary-clintons-private-server-1477854957): DSeid, I’m not sure I trust the WSJ’s take on the course of events. For example, they assert, based on anonymous sources, that the metadata on the emails “suggests” that the messages might have come from Clinton’s private server. OTOH, Newsweek spoke a different anonymous source who said otherwise - > **[Why the FBI Is Reviewing More of Clinton's Emails](https://www.newsweek.com/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-comey-donald-trump-anthony-weiner-huma-abedin-514918)** > > The new evidence that has emerged relates to how Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide, managed her email accounts. > [@Newsweek](#): > > The truth is much less explosive. There is no indication the emails in question were withheld by Clinton during the investigation, the law enforcement official told Newsweek, nor does the discovery suggest she did anything illegal. Also, none of the emails were to or from Clinton, the official said. Given that Comey straight up said that he couldn’t know the significance of these emails, and given that if the emails were known to have come from Clinton’s private server, the significance would have been obvious, I’m not sure that the WSJ is really reliable. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/409 "2016-10-31T01:41:37Z")
There’s no contradiction there, since Huma had an email address on the clintonmail server. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/410 "2016-10-31T02:17:06Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Even if the anti-Clinton FBI people _did_ spring this on Comey, they had no power to force him to write a letter so lacking in information that it could easily be spun by the GOP as ‘no smoke without fire.’ > > He did that himself. For his own reasons. > **[Daily Cartoon 103016 Comey Not Partisan](https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/daily-cartoon-103016-comey-not-partisan)** > > “We at the F.B.I. would like to reiterate that this move was in no way political.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/411 "2016-10-31T02:20:08Z")
The one good reason I can come up with Comey releasing when he did was that he was worried they would find something, and he would look bad for waiting until after the election to say anything. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/412 "2016-10-31T02:25:37Z")
He could have written a similar letter for that reason without launching this shitstorm by explaining that they had not viewed the emails yet, and therefore did not yet know if they were work-related or if they were even new to them. Instead, by saying they appear to be pertinent and may be significant–and not clearly explaining why he felt compelled to write the letter 11 days before the election–he suggested they had more than they really did. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/413 "2016-10-31T02:28:50Z")
> [@furt](#): > > There have been many reports, for weeks now, of internal dissent in FBI; e.g. > > [FBI agents are ready to revolt over the cozy Clinton probe](http://nypost.com/2016/10/06/fbi-agents-are-ready-to-revolt-over-the-cozy-clinton-probe/) > > [DC Attorney: FBI Never Destroyed Laptops Of Clinton Aides | The Daily Caller](http://dailycaller.com/2016/10/29/dc-attorney-fbi-never-destroyed-laptops-of-clinton-aides/) > > True or not? I dunno. But there clearly has been smoke for awhile. I went through your first article, and counted three disgruntled FBI agents. None of those three currently work for the FBI. [There are over 35,000 people currently working for the FBI](https://www.google.com/search?q=number+of+fbi+employees&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8); one presumes there are a few other retired agents. Given a pool of 35,000 left-leaning elderly white ladies from Arkansas, I’m sure I could find at least three willing to talk shit about Clinton. That wouldn’t constitute “smoke.” The sample we’re pulling from here is YUGE. There’s no reason whatsoever to think those three former employees are significant. The only smoke here is being blown by Donald Trump up our collective asses. Oh–and given how much hay was made out of so few people in that article, it’s worth noting that the article is written by Paul Sperry, the modern mind behind such classics as **The Muslim Mafia** (published by World Net Daily) and **Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives have Penetrated Washington**. There’s a reason why it’s a good idea to turn toward reliable news sources. Ya can’t believe everything you read on the Intarwebs. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/414 "2016-10-31T02:38:14Z")
As for the second article, [Joe DiGenova](http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/04/30/who-are-the-right-wing-medias-benghazi-lawyers/193842), the main source, has been after the Clintons literally for decades, spouting untruth after untruth. Kerry Picket, the author, [doesn’t have an unvarnished record of honesty herself](http://mediamatters.org/people/kerry-picket). Careful with what you believe! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/415 "2016-10-31T02:38:40Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > He could have written a similar letter for that reason without launching this shitstorm by explaining that they had not viewed the emails yet, and therefore did not yet know if they were work-related or if they were even new to them. Instead, by saying they appear to be pertinent and may be significant–and not clearly explaining why he felt compelled to write the letter 11 days before the election–he suggested they had more than they really did. I’m struggling to imagine that anything he wrote differently would have resulted in a significantly different response from the various parties. It’s gotten to be that “e-mail” is like “Bengazi”. It’s evokes a Pavlovian response depending on one’s political leanings. The right wing snarls, the left wing rolls its eyes, and the media is just dying for something, anything to write about. I actually think the fact that there is essentially no “there” there in the letter he did write, that this whole thing is dying down on its own. As long as Comey, contrary to what some have suggested here, doesn’t saying anything else between now and the election. Even this rabid media can only report so much of nothing before they move on to something else. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/416 "2016-10-31T03:00:15Z")
I agree that any letter would have been chum for the Great White Grope, which is a good reason not to write one just to cover your ass. But he still could have written it in a more responsible way. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/417 "2016-10-31T03:17:36Z")
There’s another story making the rounds. It involves Jacob Chaffetz, famous most recently for his remarkable flip-a-thon about Trump, YES!..oh, Hell no and finally vote for but not endorse. Here’s a version from _Daily Kos_: > [@](#): > > …Democratic Ranking Members on the relevant committees didn’t receive Comey’s letter until after the Republican Chairmen. In fact, the Democratic Ranking Members didn’t receive it until after the the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Jason Chaffetz, tweeted it out and made it public… What if Chaffetz was tipped off? Maybe that’s the cause of his backflipped “endorsement”. Maybe Comey finds out and realizes that the beans will be out of the bag and the cat will be spilled. So he gets there first with his own statement, to keep some sort of control of the situation. Don’t think keeping it from the Dem members matters all that much, not like they wouldn’t find out. Just sticking a thumb in their eye. I have a fair to middlin’ impression of _Kos_, but its just a story as far as they are concerned as well, so, whateverness. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/418 "2016-10-31T03:29:26Z")
Trump and his people have been lying their faces off for two days about this. How its proof positive of criminal intent, behavior, and aftermath. No shades of grey, no “alleged”, just flat. And they cashed his credibility to hold it up, Il Douche’s spokesgit, Chubby Chinless with a Goatee, said what a lot of other said, that Comey wouldn’t have said anything at all unless the new evidence was rock solid smoking gub. I don’t see how he can just ignore that. But this guy ain’t who I thought he was, anyway, so who fucking knows. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/419 "2016-10-31T03:44:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m struggling to imagine that anything he wrote differently would have resulted in a significantly different response from the various parties. It’s gotten to be that “e-mail” is like “Bengazi”. It’s evokes a Pavlovian response depending on one’s political leanings. The right wing snarls, the left wing rolls its eyes, and the media is just dying for something, anything to write about. I think that’s only partly true. It’s true to the extent that what the Orange One says, and his acolytes believe, has no connection to reality whatsoever. This is the guy who had proof positive that Obama was born in Kenya, who proclaimed that the world “wouldn’t believe” what his investigators in Hawaii were finding to support that thesis, and then later claimed that he personally was responsible for clearing up the whole thing and proving that Obama was born in Hawaii after all. The Donald: Master sleuth, righter of wrongs, public hero! In his own mind, that is. In reality he’s a conniving con man and his followers are gullible idiots, and it’s just that simple. That said, if Comey had worded the letter responsibly, any attempt to spin it as a looming indictment of Hillary could have been exposed as absurd and completely unwarranted by a straightforward reading of the words. Instead, he left it so vague that literally any interpretation was possible. That was just grossly irresponsible. > [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I agree that any letter would have been chum for the Great White Grope, which is a good reason not to write one just to cover your ass. But he still could have written it in a more responsible way. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/420 "2016-10-31T04:24:08Z")
As this appears to be falling apart, the next interesting question is how Andrew Douche Cray responds. He could just change nothing at all, he’s already pretending that the FBI has evidence that is totally going to crush Hillary, Its not likely that a definitive announcement will be made before the election. So he can keep on spouting the same crapola regardless. Why should he care? 'Course, that’s a sensible and reasonable approach. What he’ll actually do? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=22)