FBI probe move deeply troubling: Hillary Clinton

Washington: Hillary Clinton on Sunday assailed America’s top cop FBI director James Comey over the timing of relaunching a probe into her use of a private email server while secretary of state, saying the move just ahead of the presidential polls was “unprecedented” and “deeply troubling”.

The development, that comes in the final leg of the campaign for the November 8 election, had the Republican presidential nominee and real estate tycoon Donald Trump seize on to the reignited controversy as he stepped up attacks on his Democratic rival.

At an election rally in Florida, Hillary told cheering supporters: “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.” “And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get 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?” Hillary said.

An emboldened 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, Hillary 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.