30 Oct, Washington:

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Sunday called “unprecedented” and “deeply troubling” the FBI’s decision to re-open its investigation into her use of private email server while secretary of state, with just over a week to go for the presidential election

Clinton and her campaign pressed America’s top cop, FBI Director James Comey, to put out the “full and complete facts” about a renewed probe into a cache of recently discovered emails, as the development emboldened Republican rival Donald Trump to seize on to the reignited controversy.

Hilary clinton talking

“It is pretty strange. It’s pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, in fact, it’s not just strange

It’s unprecedented,” Clinton told cheering supporters at an election rally in Florida

“And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve get to full and complete facts,” she added as she called on Comey “to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table” and accused Trump of already “making up lies” about the development in the final leg of the campaign

“He is doing his best to confuse, mislead, and discourage the American people. I think it’s time for Donald Trump to stop fear mongering, to stop disgracing himself, to stop attacking our democracy. We can’t let him get away with this, can we?” Clinton said

Trump, at his own rally in Colorado, accused the Justice Department of trying to protect Clinton

“You’re supposed to give your emails. The process and the legal process has been taking a long time. It’s very sad that it’s taken so long. And now it’s reported today this morning that the Department of Justice was fighting the FBI and that’s because the Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary,” the 70-year-old real estate tycoon alleged

During a rare press conference on Saturday, Clinton said she is “confident” the new FBI probe will not change its original finding that she should not be prosecuted

The Clinton Campaign also questioned the agency’s motive behind its decision taken days before the November 8 election

“The extraordinary letter that was long on innuendo and short on facts that Director Comey sent on Saturday to eight Republican committee chairs. 24 hours after that letter was sent, we have no real explanation of why Director Comey decided to send that letter to congressional leaders,” Clinton Campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters

Podesta alleged the FBI director, by providing selective information, has allowed partisans to distort and exaggerate in order to inflict maximum political damage

In a statement, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said that by releasing a letter within 60 days of the presidential election, Comey broke with long-standing department tradition that is meant to prevent any influence on the electoral process

“The letter did not offer enough detail that would allow Americans a full understanding of the development and whether or not it is even significant, which has led to speculation on the part of the media and irresponsible claims by Republican leaders. The FBI must move quickly to release additional clarifying information,” DNC demanded. PTI