What the FBI Director’s letter about the Clinton emails really says

[ehrnst]

It’s a good idea to read the letter before you report on it.

Oy.

As of this writing, all three cable news networks are in a frenzy. FBI Director James Comey just sent a letter to Republican congressional committee chairs announcing that he’s taking a new look into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Another investigation! And right before the election! She could be indicted!

Well, probably not. Indeed, almost definitely not. Here’s what the letter actually says:



The relevant paragraph in this brief letter is the middle one, where Comey writes that the FBI “has learned of the existence” of emails that it previously did not review. In response to this new information, the FBI will now “allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information.”

The FBI, in other words, is not reexamining its previous findings. It is not questioning its previous legal conclusion that “no reasonable prosecutor” could determine that charges are warranted. Based on the letter, it appears that the FBI will simply provide the same scrutiny to these newly uncovered emails as it previously applied to the emails it already reviewed when it determined that criminal charges are not warranted.

Though the initial narrative to emerge from this new letter — a narrative pushed by Republican House Oversight Chair Jason Chaffetz — is that the FBI has “reopened” the case against Clinton, several reporters did acknowledge on Twitter that this narrative is not true.

https://thinkprogress.org/the-fbi-directors-letter-about-the-clinton-emails-says-a-lot-less-than-the-media-wants-you-to-aa61e81e5a97#.ke13xbrya

[emulatorloo]

1. Thanks for posting n/t

[beachbumbob]

2. What it really says...comey is messing with election...

No such thing as a non partisan FBI director....luckily email servers are not a concern for Hillary supporters...

[LenaBaby61]

3. What the FBI Director’s letter about the Clinton emails really says...

Agree ehrnst.

A friend who actually can stomach MSNBCRNCTMZ said Pete Williams who was on there a about 1 hour ago said he got from a "higher up" source that was willing to confirm that these emails being looked at didn't appear to even BE Hillary Clinton's emails.

SO at the very LEAST if what my friend heard was correct, Comey needs to put out a statement clarifying EXACTLY what he's doing and not just drop something like this out there open-ended like this.

IF my friend heard correctly then uh

[still_one]

4. Here is the problem with that, the letter is written to cover all bases. They indicate they

need to review the emails for and undetermined length of time to determine if they contained classified information.

It is because of that the the republicans, with the help of the MSM, are pushing the narrative that the "email investigation is being reopened", and imply something criminal. It matters little whether it is true or not, the media is acting on this as though it is true, and interviewing as many right wing assholes as they can gather

[C_U_L8R]

5. It must be halloween

[procon]

6. It's not so much what Comey said, but what he omitted,

He was being deliberately vague while dropped intentional hints that seem to imply an impending new Hillary scandal is unfolding... 11 days before we vote. If there is another more obvious way to influence the election, you'd have to look back to 2004, four days before the election when Bush released a 'new' Osama bin Laden videotape and raised the terror alert code.

[uponit7771]

7. Still doesn't matter, Comey is a straight up dick for coming out with this shit 11 days before an...

... election needlessly.

There's little to no need to come out with this shit RIGHT NOW for either side of the isle

[Coyotl]

8. Republican desperation has been raised to code red.

This shit is laughable. This is all they have! They are groping worst than Trump.