The FBI on Sunday lifted the threat that Hillary Clinton might face charges over her private email server — dropping a campaign bombshell 36 hours before her White House showdown with Donald Trump.
The Democrat’s camp welcomed the news that FBI Director James Comey had decided not to change his July recommendation that she not be prosecuted for putting US secrets at risk while serving as secretary of state.
But, as both candidates criss-crossed swing states in a last desperate scramble before Tuesday’s election, the 11th-hour decision by the Federal Bureau of Investigation refocused attention on an issue that has dogged Clinton’s bid.
“We’re glad that this matter is resolved,” her campaign director Jennifer Palmieri told reporters aboard the 69-year-old’s plane.
Trump’s camp reacted with bitter annoyance. Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told Fox News that Comey’s letter “doesn’t change anything” and argued the FBI probe “was mishandled from the beginning.”
Late last month, with Clinton seemingly on a glide path to victory, Comey sent shockwaves through both campaigns by announcing a renewed FBI investigation in Clinton’s email use.
In July, the Justice Department, acting on the FBI’s recommendation, decided not to prosecute Clinton over her use of a private server for official emails while she was Washington’s top diplomat.
