# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/41 "2016-10-28T18:52:51Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Of course, it may be that technically this isn’t a reopening. Doesn’t matter. The public thinks it’s a reopening, because that’s what the headlines say, and most people stop thinking after they’ve read the headline. I’m still puzzled at this idea of ‘not a reopening’. Your statement makes it seems an ill informed public would be fooled by a dishonest media into thinking it was a ‘reopening’ when it’s really not. I’d see the public’s conclusion as a simple common sense description of the known facts and ‘it’s not a reopening’ as a rather desperate sounding semantic fig leaf. That said I agree history is unlikely to look back and judge it a significant event or not based on whether ‘it’s a reopening’. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/42 "2016-10-28T18:58:38Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Hold on - how does the \*sender \*have control over whether the recipient uses a public/private server to receive? The sender would certainly know that he was sending to a private rather than a government email address. In any case, the person who sends a classified email is the one responsible for where it ends up, unless it’s forwarded by one or more of the recipients. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/43 "2016-10-28T19:00:18Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Nope, I think this time it does because we already have the previous result to look at. "to make those decisions [to indict] responsibly they must consider “the context of a person’s actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past.” I do not see any references to a change on how the actions made before are different now or are the issue here, but once again: they are talking about what other emails should be marked as clasified. That’s an argument why you think further investigation would not likely reverse the original decision not to recommend prosecution of Clinton. It’s not an argument that Comey is not referring to a continuation of the original investigation, the target of which was Clinton. Your point is speculative: we don’t know if the additional emails would also represent some different pattern of facts in their handling, perhaps not, but he doesn’t anything about that one way or another. My point is purely in response to the silly semantics saying the letter doesn’t refer to new inquiry with regard to ‘[the] investigation of Secretary Clinton’s private email server’, which it obviously does. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/44 "2016-10-28T19:00:53Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s definitely big news, and it doesn’t help, but without further information how is it more than rumor and innuendo? If Comey says nothing, this is just “that email thing still exists”. It might motivate some Hillary-haters, but it’s no new information, unless Comey elaborates and explains what he’s actually doing. It’s more than rumor and innuendo to the extent of new evidence – whatever it may be – that Comey reported to the Congressional committee. I think what we’re seeing here is various different levels of self-serving politics. Comey is covering his ass by prematurely releasing information that has not yet been properly investigated and vetted, presumably so that Republicans can’t come after him later with charges of “covering up” for Hillary. And Republicans will make the most of it via rumor and innuendo. Needless to say, Trump and his surrogates are already at it, in full-Trump extreme-hyperbole hysteria. Frankly I can’t blame Comey, but the most ethical way to have handled this would have been to pursue the investigation in silence until there was actually something substantive to report, or until the matter could be dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/45 "2016-10-28T19:04:20Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Hold on - how does the \*sender \*have control over whether the recipient uses a public/private server to receive? If you;re not sure that the recipient is on a classified network - YOU DON’T SEND THE CLASSIFIED DOCS. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/46 "2016-10-28T19:05:33Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Frankly I can’t blame Comey, but the most ethical way to have handled this would have been to pursue the investigation in silence until there was actually something substantive to report, or until the matter could be dismissed. I suspect there are a number of FBI agents not too happy with the outcome of the original investigation who might be inclined to leak something about this new/re-opened investigation. If the likelihood is high, better to get out in front of it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/47 "2016-10-28T19:05:58Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Hold on - how does the \*sender \*have control over whether the recipient uses a public/private server to receive? You don’t send classified materials to hillary@hillary’s\_homeserver.com The responsibility to make sure is on the person sending classified materials around via email. The State Department had an entirely separate system for classified materials that should have been used. > [@](#): > > To electronically transmit classified information, State Department employees must use a specific closed system, not their usual @state.gov email addresses. Clinton should not have to anticipate that other people would screw up. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/48 "2016-10-28T19:08:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I suspect there are a number of FBI agents not too happy with the outcome of the original investigation who might be inclined to leak something about this new/re-opened investigation. If the likelihood is high, better to get out in front of it. If that was the case, then Comey needed to call a press conference to make an announcement. Providing the information to the Republicans in a letter and allowing them to control the narrative is just politically incompetent. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/49 "2016-10-28T19:08:56Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You don’t send classified materials to hillary@hillary’s\_homeserver.com > > The responsibility to make sure is on the person sending classified materials around via email. > > The State Department had an entirely separate system for classified materials that should have been used. > > Clinton should not have to anticipate that other people would screw up. Yes, she should have to anticipate that. If she sends an e-mail to someone, and they respond to her e-mail with classified information, who is really at fault? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/50 "2016-10-28T19:09:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I suspect there are a number of FBI agents not too happy with the outcome of the original investigation… You “suspect” that? I suspect that Comey is doing the best he can to give his team something to play with, and still maintain his reputation has a strictly honest, non-partisan professional. By the way, how, perzackly, did he _get_ that reputation? Think the first thing I read about him said that, but didn’t say why. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/51 "2016-10-28T19:10:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yes, she should have to anticipate that. If she sends an e-mail to someone, and they respond to her e-mail with classified information, who is really at fault? The person who sent classified information to an unsecured server. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/52 "2016-10-28T19:10:58Z")
Some of y’all are going to be very disappointed when this doesn’t move the needle. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/53 "2016-10-28T19:11:48Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > That’s an argument why you think further investigation would not likely reverse the original decision not to recommend prosecution of Clinton. It’s not an argument that Comey is not referring to a continuation of the original investigation, the target of which was Clinton. > > Your point is speculative: we don’t know if the additional emails would also represent some different pattern of facts in their handling, perhaps not, but he doesn’t anything about that one way or another. My point is purely in response to the silly semantics saying the letter doesn’t refer to new inquiry with regard to ‘[the] investigation of Secretary Clinton’s private email server’, which it obviously does. I think the problem is that you do think that I’m speculating, when in reality you are. What I see in the letter from Comey is that there has not been anything there to point at any difference regarding the previous mishandling of the e-mails by Clinton. IOW, There has been no change pointed out about what Clinton did and her intentions. Again, what we have so far is about how some emails _ **may** _ be useful to the investigation as to find and identify yet again more emails that needed to be classified, but the usefulness of that is (again since there is no note on how different Clinton did handle them) is just so far about dotting the i’s and informing other departments about how they need to make things better. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/54 "2016-10-28T19:12:22Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The person who sent classified information to an unsecured server. Actually both, including the [del]person[/del] SecState who solicited email to an unclassified server. Politically, the other person probably doesn’t have to worry. Only the SecState does. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/55 "2016-10-28T19:12:22Z")
**ThisIsTheEnd** Join date: October 2016. I’m taking this as a sign. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/56 "2016-10-28T19:12:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yes, she should have to anticipate that. If she sends an e-mail to someone, and they respond to her e-mail with classified information, who is really at fault? Whoever originated the classified information is at fault. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/57 "2016-10-28T19:12:58Z")
> [@](#): > > …when this doesn’t move the needle. Hell, even if it did, Il Douche still has plenty of time to open his mouth and screw the pooch. I’m hoping he demands absolute endorsement from all elected Republicans, or else! ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/58 "2016-10-28T19:13:04Z")
For the record, here is the entire letter, posted at this tweet - > It’s very short, so here’s the text: > [@James Comey's letter to Congress](#): > > Dear Messrs Chairmen: > > In previous congressional testimony. I referred to the fact that the Federal Bureau of > Investigation (FBI) had completed its investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s personal email > server. Due to recent developments, I am writing to supplement my previous testimony. > > 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 to 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. > > Sincerely yours, > James B. Comey > Director I’m not sure why Comey felt that it was necessary to inform the public that he had some new emails that might not even be significant, except, of course, that there’s an election coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/59 "2016-10-28T19:13:25Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Classified data should only be sent on a classified email system, which essentially means _never_ sent over the broader internet (rather there are other networks not connected to the normal/everyday internet which handles most email). So there shouldn’t be any question of public vs private (all classified networks are government-run, AFAIK). > > But people screw this up all the time, usually by not knowing the data they were sending is classified. No, it’s not technically or even physically possible to send email or docs from a secure network into the “open” broader internet that we all know and love. Someone had to copy those docs, photograph them, import them etc, and consciously upload them to unsecured networks and servers. This is what’s referred to as the “air gap”. The whole debacle is a huge crock of shit. ---
**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 28, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/60 "2016-10-28T19:14:10Z")
There’s some talk that Comey was legally obligated to update the Committee like this if anything relevant to the investigation arises. If so, that would explain the bizarre letter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=4)