Top Democrat says FBI chief ‘may have broken law’ over Hillary Clinton email investigation

A TOP Democrat has blasted the FBI chief for opening another review of Hillary Clinton’s emails less than two weeks before the US election.

The US Senate's top Democrat Harry Reid blasted FBI chief James Comey for announcing a new review of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the presidential election. Picture: AFP.

A TOP Democrat has blasted FBI Director James Comey for announcing a new review of Hillary Clinton’s emails less than a fortnight before the US election, saying he may have “broken the law”.

In a scathing letter to Mr Comey, Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada accused the FBI chief of a double standard by investigating Ms Clinton’s emails and not possible ties between Donald Trump and the Russian government.

“Your actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another,” Senator Reid said.

“I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law.”

With the deepest regret, I now see that I was wrong about Mr. Comey. https://t.co/7tHfOgxvCN

— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) October 30, 2016

The letter contends that Mr Comey deviated from Justice Department policy when he alerted Congress to the new discovery of emails.

Justice Department officials are instructed not to discuss ongoing investigations and to “exercise heightened restraint near the time of a primary or general election,” to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial influence in the electoral process, according to the letter.

“We cannot recall a prior instance where a senior Justice Department official — Republican or Democrat — has, on the eve of a major election, issued a public statement where the mere disclosure of information may impact the election’s outcome yet the official acknowledges the information to be examined may not be significant or new,” the letter states.

FBI Director James Comey said there will be another review of Hillary Clinton’s emails. Picture: AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File

Mr Comey announced the review after emails “pertinent” to the Clinton investigation were found on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the former New York congressman and estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a top aide to Ms Clinton.

The Wall Street Journal reported the FBI will inspect 650,000 emails on Mr Weiner’s laptop, seized during an unrelated criminal sexting investigation of the wannabe New York mayor, that may be relevant to the Clinton investigation.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that President Barack Obama believes Mr Comey is a man of integrity and is not trying to influence the US presidential election.

Mr Earnest also said on Monday he has no “independent knowledge” of how Mr Comey had arrived at his decision to make public the FBI email investigation or “what factors were considered” in his decision to discuss the issue publicly.

Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Picture: AP.

Meanwhile, it has also emerged that Ms Clinton’s campaign team was keeping tabs on Mr Weiner’s sexting habits as far back at 2011, according to WikiLeaks emails.

The New York Post said one report came to the attention of John Podesta, now chair of Ms Clinton’s presidential campaign, and Neera Tanden, a Senate aide and 2008 presidential campaign staffer, when Jennifer Palmieri, the current campaign communications director, forwarded news of an investigation into Weiner’s contacts with a Delaware teenager.

“Police on Friday afternoon came to the home of a 17-year-old high school junior to ask her about direct online communications she has had with Rep. Anthony Weiner,” read the report dated June 10, 2011.