FBI reopens probe into Clinton emails, Trump praises move

Washington, October 28

The FBI today said it has reopened investigations into Hillary Clinton's use of private email server when she was Secretary of State due to the likelihood of new information coming to light, immediately drawing praise from the White House frontrunner's Republican rival Donald Trump.

FBI Director James Comey, in a communication to the Congressional leadership, said the FBI has learned of new "emails that appear to be pertinent" to their investigation.

"In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to this investigation," Comey wrote. 

"I am writing to inform you that the investigative team briefed me on this yesterday and I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation," Comey said.

Clinton has previously apologised for using a private email server as Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013 during the first term of President Barack Obama. Her act was criticised as tantamount to compromising national security.

The FBI announcement today was an unexpected development just ahead of the November 8 US presidential election in the race to which several opinion polls have indicated Clinton was ahead of Trump and her lead was moving northwards decisively.

But the FBI's decision to reopen the investigation was immediately latched on to by her rival Trump, who immediately welcomed the announcement as a “big day”. — PTI