Post by annaj26 on Oct 30, 2016 12:23:58 GMT -5
Source: FBI in lose-lose situation with Clinton emails
The FBI was in a lose-lose situation with their discovery of more emails related to the probe of Hillary Clinton’s private server, a source tells CBS News’ Jeff Pegues and Pat Milton.
A person familiar with the debate over whether FBI Director James Comey should send a letter to Congress notifying them of the revelation tells CBS News that the FBI felt it had few positive options. Comey had previously pledged to inform Congress if anything new came up related to the private email server investigation, and officials at the FBI believed the new information on the laptop shared by former congressman Anthony Weiner and his wife and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin rose to that level, according to the source.
Investigators have wanted to examine Abedin’s emails after securing a warrant, but as of late Saturday they were still trying to do that. Ultimately, FBI officials believed that no matter what they did, the information would leak out, potentially impacting the election, according to the source.
Sending the letter to members of Congress and notifying them of the new emails was thought to be the most credible and transparent way to proceed, the source said officials within the FBI believed.Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the FBI considered that if they investigated the new evidence quietly and it leaked out -- which it almost certainly would have -- there would be backlash against the agency. If they investigated and found damaging criminal evidence and then made it public following the Nov. 8 election, there would be sharp criticism and the FBI would be accused of trying to manipulate an election by hiding the renewed investigation.
The letter to Congress was purposely vague, as authorities did not want to compromise the investigation, according to the source. Disclosures so close to an election are against protocol.
more
www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/source-fbi-in-lose-lose-situation-with-clinton-emails/ar-AAjCj2G?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp
The FBI was in a lose-lose situation with their discovery of more emails related to the probe of Hillary Clinton’s private server, a source tells CBS News’ Jeff Pegues and Pat Milton.
A person familiar with the debate over whether FBI Director James Comey should send a letter to Congress notifying them of the revelation tells CBS News that the FBI felt it had few positive options. Comey had previously pledged to inform Congress if anything new came up related to the private email server investigation, and officials at the FBI believed the new information on the laptop shared by former congressman Anthony Weiner and his wife and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin rose to that level, according to the source.
Investigators have wanted to examine Abedin’s emails after securing a warrant, but as of late Saturday they were still trying to do that. Ultimately, FBI officials believed that no matter what they did, the information would leak out, potentially impacting the election, according to the source.
Sending the letter to members of Congress and notifying them of the new emails was thought to be the most credible and transparent way to proceed, the source said officials within the FBI believed.Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the FBI considered that if they investigated the new evidence quietly and it leaked out -- which it almost certainly would have -- there would be backlash against the agency. If they investigated and found damaging criminal evidence and then made it public following the Nov. 8 election, there would be sharp criticism and the FBI would be accused of trying to manipulate an election by hiding the renewed investigation.
The letter to Congress was purposely vague, as authorities did not want to compromise the investigation, according to the source. Disclosures so close to an election are against protocol.
more
www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/source-fbi-in-lose-lose-situation-with-clinton-emails/ar-AAjCj2G?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp