# 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:** 40
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/781 "2016-11-07T00:23:36Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > So, to recap: the FBI finds the emails in late September or early October. They sit on their hands for at least two, if not three weeks. Then Comey sends the letter to Congress, despite not yet knowing the contents of the emails. Then the FBI gets the subpoena to actually open the emails. Now, 9 days later, he admits that there’s jack shit here. > > I do not understand how Comey can possibly continue in his role after bungling this so badly. Agreed. I don’t know much about Comey except that he needlessly injected himself and the FBI into the final days of the presidential election. He must resign. At least Hoover had the decency to interfere with elections privately (in a form-flattering cocktail dress, no less.) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/782 "2016-11-07T00:45:01Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Where’s [Smilin’ Enztye Bob](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AMX21VKv97w/SJzkCQd-T7I/AAAAAAAACo8/UohM2CIs-kM/s320/enzyte.jpg) when you need him? At first, I thought you meant [this](http://willrabbe.com/storage/bob-dole-viagra2.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1289830665483) smiling Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/783 "2016-11-07T00:49:25Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > It is very puzzling to watch this from afar - how could it be possible to tolerate the intervention directly by the security services in the election? > > … > > Whatever the results of your election, there is something dangerously wrong that occured inside the security services, very dangerously wrong. As another non-USian, I agree with **Ramira**. I hope Franken is able to get a full investigation going. It is dangerous when law enforcement agencies inject themselves in politics like this. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/784 "2016-11-07T00:58:31Z")
Glad to see that the latest is getting big press, though it can only partially reverse the damage. And of course it’s getting the expected spin – while CNN announces that Hillary has been cleared again, Fox News is leading with a regretful “Decision not to prosecute stands” (i.e.- “probably guilty as sin, but we still can’t prove it”). I’m also getting the sense that there is a growing consensus in the media that the FBI was, at the very least, recklessly incompetent in the way this was originally handled, if not outright complicit in manipulating the election. There seems to be some furious backpedaling going on, but I think Comey is toast, regardless. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/785 "2016-11-07T01:04:12Z")
So is it good or bad news that a lot of people think the trend towards Trump’s chances increasing happened before all this? On the plus side, it could mean that people didn’t really care about this anyways, and it accomplished nothing. On the minus side, it means that the fix cannot have any affect on the election. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/786 "2016-11-07T01:05:13Z")
> [@choie](#): > > That sound you hear is millions of boners that had been pointing in Comey’s direction, all wilting in defeat. Sad! There is no shortage of hard-ons for that guy. They are the less friendly ones. God speed. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/787 "2016-11-07T01:12:02Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > The Trump line, now being echoed by former Chief of the NYPD and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, is that Comey could not possibly have reviewed all these emails. > > That is, of course, absolute tripe. > > In fact, it should make you angry that idiots like these have held such high levels of responsibility. I honestly wonder if they’re trolling, or lying, or if they’re really that stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/788 "2016-11-07T01:30:08Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > It is very puzzling to watch this from afar - how could it be possible to tolerate the intervention directly by the security services in the election? Because if it came out that there were potentially incriminating emails and Comey kept quiet, he would have been accused of trying to cover up so Clinton was elected. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/789 "2016-11-07T01:33:19Z")
I’ll be the outlier and say Comey keeps his job. I don’t think he’ll resign. Even though he probably made a mistake in sending the original letter to Congress, I’d keep him on if I were Obama and even if I were Hillary. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/790 "2016-11-07T01:43:58Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’ll be the outlier and say Comey keeps his job. I don’t think he’ll resign. Even though he probably made a mistake in sending the original letter to Congress, I’d keep him on if I were Obama and even if I were Hillary. I don’t think it would be ethical for Hillary to fire him outright, but some pundits are calling for an investigation into how and why the original letter was sent, and specifically, whether there is an organized faction within the FBI that intentionally meddled in the election. This might be worthwhile, and though Comey himself may or may not be implicated in such a movement, an investigation by the Office of Special Counsel might identify individuals who are. And Comey may have to take the rap for it just on the general principle of accountability. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/791 "2016-11-07T01:49:19Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because if it came out that there were potentially incriminating emails and Comey kept quiet, he would have been accused of trying to cover up so Clinton was elected. Well, somebody was, then. As said above, they had this shit for weeks, didn’t even try to get a search warrant. I’m kinda curious to hear a good explanation for why, how about you? > [@](#): > > Agreed. I don’t know much about Comey… I did. I remember when he stood up to the Bedside Raiders who were trying to pressure Ashcroft to grossly expand the War on Terr. Hallelujah! I thought, a decent conservative, someone I can respect! That’s why I was so taken aback, that’s why it took me a while to start questioning, and then suspecting, and then start hopping up and down mad. **Saint Cad** , he had the guts to stand up to Bush and Cheney when they were wrong. But he folds his hand if _somebody_ might question his motives. Doesn’t it look more like he was worried about _Republican_ somebodies? If you don’t think so, perhaps you’ll tell me why? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/792 "2016-11-07T01:57:02Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’ll be the outlier and say Comey keeps his job. I don’t think he’ll resign. Even though he probably made a mistake in sending the original letter to Congress, I’d keep him on if I were Obama and even if I were Hillary. I think ruining the reputation of the FBI as an impartial agency and trying to meddle in an election deserves a firing. And why should Clinton be saddled with an FBI director who tried to interfere with an election? Why should Clinton be obligated to work with an FBI director whom she can’t trust? She should ask for his resignation, which of course, he won’t provide, because if he had any shame he wouldn’t be in this mess. Then she should replace him with someone who’s willing to deal rationally with her as the boss. Any FBI agents who want to conduct private witchhunts should also find themselves on the unemployment line. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/793 "2016-11-07T02:06:15Z")
It would be very hard for Comey to continue if he has lost the confidence of the President. He and Obama are probably going to have a man-to-man later this week. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/794 "2016-11-07T02:08:13Z")
You know, kinda seems like we’re missing a whole bunch of our most firm and emphatic posters, here. Where did those little scamps run off to? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/795 "2016-11-07T02:16:55Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because if it came out that there were potentially incriminating emails and Comey kept quiet, he would have been accused of trying to cover up so Clinton was elected. That was my original thought, too, which I made way back in this thread. Comey had an argument that he had testified that the investigation was over, and therefore had a duty to correct his testimony when the FBI got new information. But then it came out that the FBI knew about this stuff for at least a six weeks or month before Comey sent a letter to the committees. If it was so crucial for Comey to update the committees, shouldn’t he have done it as soon as the info came to light? Doing it six weeks ago would have had less impact than a letter just 10 days before the election. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/796 "2016-11-07T02:21:22Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You know, kinda seems like we’re missing a whole bunch of our most firm and emphatic posters, here. Where did those little scamps run off to? Um… “Fire the bastard! Prosecute for violating the Hatch Act! Tar and Feathers! Parade him in the nude Walk of Shame, like in Game of Thrones. Heap upon him scorn and obloquy.” I got nothin’. I think the poor bastard was caught in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” dilemma, and tried to squeak along the line of least resistance. When you slip between Scylla and Charybdis, it’s the rowers on the left who get eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/797 "2016-11-07T02:25:24Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > The Trump line, now being echoed by former Chief of the NYPD and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, is that Comey could not possibly have reviewed all these emails. > > That is, of course, absolute tripe. > > In fact, it should make you angry that idiots like these have held such high levels of responsibility. Right, these people are very stupid. This was Anthony Weiner’s computer, the presumption any rational person would have is that the vast majority of the emails on his computer were, well, his emails. “Huma’s emails” that were on his computer, I suspect, were emails Huma got and forwarded to her husband. I bet some were originally from Hillary’s private email account she used as Secretary of State, probably during the time she was Secretary of State. Without knowing more, some people in the FBI were like “oh hey, these could be more of the emails covering our investigation window.” The rational thing to do would have been to filter out all of the emails that contain no addresses from the domain of Hillary’s private server. I bet that is probably like 99% of his emails. Then the small number left you just have someone sift through. Probably most are just from Huma to Weiner (Huma had her own email account on Hillary’s private email server), many probably of a personal nature. A few may have been political. If you actually found classified emails heretofore not found, that had been transmitted from Huma to Weiner, that’s a big deal. But if not, then there’s really nothing here–especially if the small number of Hillary domain emails are just duplicates of ones already reviewed. All of this could’ve been done before Comey ever sent his first letter to Congress, and if it found nothing then there’s no reason for Comey to even update Congress. In fact–under the rules of the DoJ Comey never should’ve been unilaterally communicating to Congress details about an ongoing investigation, period. FBI’s roles is investigatory, and when their investigation is concluded their role is to pass the information to DoJ lawyers who determine what to do with it. In some high profile cases, it is the practice to give some base level of details to the public, but Comey has been well beyond that standard for a long time now. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/798 "2016-11-07T02:44:43Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > It is very puzzling to watch this from afar - how could it be possible to tolerate the intervention directly by the security services in the election? > > I wonder if all the voices in this thread confidently stating that there must have been something to merit the announcement will come back to acknowledge wrongness? > > Whatever the results of your election, there is something dangerously wrong that occured inside the security services, very dangerously wrong. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > As another non-USian, I agree with **Ramira**. I hope Franken is able to get a full investigation going. It is dangerous when law enforcement agencies inject themselves in politics like this. As an American citizen, I agree that it’s dangerously wrong. However, I’m not the least bit surprised by it. The FBI has never been a shining beacon of objectivity and non-partisanship. As just one example, in the 60s J. Edgar Hoover was desperate to find something he could use to convict or at least discredit MLK Jr. > **[The FBI’s secret memos show an agency obsessed with ‘neutraliz(ing)’ MLK | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/14/us/fbi-and-mlk/)** > > MLK was followed constantly and regularly harassed by the FBI. See the secret FBI memos for yourself. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/799 "2016-11-07T03:06:53Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > As an American citizen, I agree that it’s dangerously wrong. However, I’m not the least bit surprised by it. The FBI has never been a shining beacon of objectivity and non-partisanship. > > As just one example, in the 60s J. Edgar Hoover was desperate to find something he could use to convict or at least discredit MLK Jr. > [http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/14/us/fbi-and-mlk/](http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/14/us/fbi-and-mlk/) I have to mention here one of my favorite tales of abuse of power: J Edgar Hoover investigated also the famous Existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, Hoover thought that Sartre’s existentialism was a front for communism. On that item, what the FBI found was _nothingness_… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950/800 "2016-11-07T03:31:59Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I have to mention here one of my favorite tales of abuse of power: > > J Edgar Hoover investigated also the famous Existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, Hoover thought that Sartre’s existentialism was a front for communism. > > On that item, what the FBI found was _nothingness_… > > 😃 This is actually the first time I’ve heard of this, but Google gives me plenty to read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-is-re-opening-investigation-into-clintons-email/769950.md?page=41)