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Editorial: FBI chief owes nation more details

 
Now that FBI director James Comey has barged into the middle of a presidential election, he owes the American people more detail as quickly as possible about newly discovered emails that could be connected to the FBI’s previous investigation of Hillary Clinton.
Now that FBI director James Comey has barged into the middle of a presidential election, he owes the American people more detail as quickly as possible about newly discovered emails that could be connected to the FBI’s previous investigation of Hillary Clinton.
Published Oct. 31, 2016

Now that FBI director James Comey has barged into the middle of a presidential election, he owes the American people more detail as quickly as possible about newly discovered emails that could be connected to the FBI's closed investigation of Hillary Clinton. His cryptic letter to members of Congress raises more questions and offers no answers, and it ignores long-standing FBI policy. With Election Day just a week away, the only way forward is for the FBI to quickly tell voters whether there is anything new here that should influence their decision.

This is the most peculiar of October surprises, and it affects an election that is unlike any other and has bitterly divided the nation. No mystery writer would make up a scene where the country's future is affected by thousands of emails on the laptop of a former member of Congress under investigation for his sexting habits — and who is the estranged husband to a top aide to the Democratic nominee for president. Yet now voters are left to wonder what is buried in former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner's emails that raised the FBI's eyebrows and whether it should affect their conclusions about Clinton.

Comey's opaque letter offers no clue, referring only to emails that "appear to be pertinent'' to the FBI's previous investigation of Clinton's foolish use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. The letter says the FBI wants to "determine whether they contain classified information" but "cannot yet assess whether the material may or may not be significant.'' No wonder members of Congress from both political parties are demanding more specifics.

In an attempt to be open, Comey has ignored the FBI's traditions and policies throughout the Clinton email saga. In July, he announced the FBI was closing its investigation and would not recommend that Clinton face criminal charges, yet called her "extremely careless'' in handling classified information. Now it turns out that FBI officials found whatever they think they found on Weiner's computer nearly a month ago. Yet Comey only sent his odd letter Friday —- and before the FBI even obtained a warrant over the weekend to view the emails. He took this unusual public action despite counsel from Justice Department officials not to do it and long-standing practices that discourage public comment on investigations and doing anything close to an election that could affect the outcome.

Comey may have found himself in a box, but he has created plenty of smoke where there may be no fire. He has inflamed passions on all sides rather than calmed them. Donald Trump, who already had found Clinton guilty and pledged to prosecute her for something if he is elected president, absurdly calls the situation worse than Watergate. Clinton has called for the FBI to be more specific and declared Monday, "I am sure they will reach the same conclusion … there is no case here.''

If Clinton had not been so obsessive about privacy and arrogantly used her private email server as secretary of state, this whole episode would have been avoided. If Trump and other Republicans did not see a conspiracy around every corner and fan conservatives' suspicions about coverups and the integrity of the election, the FBI director would not have felt so compelled to take such extraordinary action on so little information. If the election were not just a week away, the stakes might not seem so high.

What the nation needs now is perspective and clarity. Clinton remains the best qualified candidate for president. Trump remains remarkably unfit for office. And the FBI director needs to clear the air about these newfound emails as quickly as possible so voters can distinguish fact from innuendo and hyperbole.