It would be either naive or oblivious to assume that James Comey’s letter to Congress will not have some effect on the national election. The problem is that we do not know what is in these email, as Comey’s cryptic message leaves too much open to speculation.
While looking at a former New York congressman Anthony Weiner’s sexting case with a 15 year old girl from North Carolina, the FBI has found emails connected to Clinton’s private server investigation. However, no one knows to what extent the content of these emails is significant, if at all, and whether or not will it lead to different conclusions from those the FBI investigation reached in July.
FBI director is not explaining much, but officials state that newly discovered emails were not written by Clinton herself. Now, if this is true, what prompted him to make this kind of public announcement?
In justifying his decision to inform the Congress, Comey sent the letter to FBI employees stating that emails appear to be pertinent to investigation but that at the same time he does not know the significance of a newly discovered collection of emails:
To all:
This morning I sent a letter to Congress in connection with the Secretary Clinton email investigation. Yesterday, the investigative team briefed me on their recommendation with respect to seeking access to emails that have recently been found in an unrelated case. Because those emails appear to be pertinent to our investigation, I agreed that we should take appropriate steps to obtain and review them.
Of course, we don’t ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record. At the same time, however, given that we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don’t want to create a misleading impression. In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directly from me about it.
Now, maybe it’s a matter of justice for James Comey. Maybe a matter of his conscience and personal integrity. Maybe some kind of pressure from the Republicans, although it would be difficult to assume anything like that, since everyone knows that Comey is one tough and honorable professional. Maybe he is just doing his job irrespective whether that’s required from him before, during or after the election. Either way, the letter to Congress looks mostly like he is trying to do things right for himself since when he testified in front of the Congress he made a promise that he will provide an update should any changes regarding to the investigation occur. In light of the recent discovery it is exactly what he did.
Political advantage to releasing the emails
Both political camps are asking now for release of emails which at least on the surface looks like they see eye-to-eye on an issue. However, their calls for transparency are motivated by political advantage.
Clinton has to act confidently in front of voters and Trump wants for the emails to swing the electorate his way. While it may seems as a call for transparency, both sides are making political moves with a goal of winning the national election while asking FBI to play into their campaigns.
Media is loud stating that FBI has never been involved in the election, but in fact that has been done before in the case of late Sen.Ted Stevens, when FBI started investigation 100 days before his re-election in 2008. If it is about justice and not politics, then the FBI is doing the right thing in Clinton’s case as well.
American people deserve a full disclosure
Ten days before the election it is hard to imagine that the reopening of investigation won’t have any effect on the results. Hillary thinks that the email server investigation has been factored into voting decision already but I am not so sure if that is entirely true, as swing independent voters may lean to the right as the result of Comey’s announcement.
The political noise is pretty blaring and Comey’s letter too cryptic to form any viable opinions. The fact it, no one knows anything for sure. What is classification of these newly discovered emails to FBI investigation: Pertinent and significant? Pertinent but not significant? Significant but not criminal? Well, one thing is sure: this is not the time for American voters to play a game of scribble.
There may not be a smoking gun there after all. Innuendo or not, American people deserve a full disclosure. Let’s get the information out there.