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IN US ELECTORAL terms, the phrase ‘October surprise’ refers to a last-minute bombshell about a presidential candidate that fundamentally alters the race.
In this unprecedented election, we’ve almost certainly had two.
Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood tape broke exactly three weeks before FBI director James Comey announced on Friday that the bureau is looking at a fresh batch of emails as part of its investigations into Hillary Clinton.
Clinton’s email issue has been on ongoing one but looked like it was put together over the summer. Things aren’t so clear now, but what exactly do we know?
What was the problem with Hillary Clinton’s emails?
The former First Lady and Senator served as President Obama’s Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013.
During her tenure as the United State’s top diplomat, Clinton contravened official guidelines by using a personal email address (hdr22@clintonemail.com) via a private server installed in the family home in Chappaqua, New York.
Years of investigations into their affairs had made the Clintons wary of their privacy and the email server was installed at their home to house communications by the Clinton Foundation.
The problem was that official information was now held outside US government accounts and was both out of public hands and potentially at risk to hackers.
Hillary Clinton apologised for what she called a mistake but maintained that she did nothing illegal.
Classified
Clinton’s personal account accumulated more than 60,000 emails over four years. At the State Department’s request, she turned over around half of them, pertaining to her official duties, in October 2014, and deleted those deemed personal.
After investigating emails sent and received by the former secretary of state, the FBI had concluded that 110 messages contained classified information at the time they were sent.
More than 2,000 emails were later categorised as ‘classified’ or containing confidential or secret information, fuelling attacks by Clinton critics who said she put national security at risk.
Despite concluding that Clinton used a personal email account to send and receive classified information, the FBI’s director James Comey announced in July that the bureau would not be pushing for criminal charges against Clinton or her team.
Comey said that the candidate’s actions were “extremely careless” rather than criminal.
So why is this back on the agenda?
For Donald Trump and his supporters this was never off the agenda, but on Friday the FBI itself brought it right back to the fore.
In a shock announcement, 11 days before election day, Comey revealed that the agency was reviewing a new batch of emails that “appear to be pertinent to the investigation”.
It subsequently transpired that the emails came to the attention of the FBI as part of investigations into disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner.
Weiner, who resigned in 2011 after sending explicit online messages, is under federal investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl.
Weiner is the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clinton’s top aides, and the emails relating to Clinton were discovered on a laptop seized as part of investigations into Weiner.
By saying the FBI were examining the new information, Comey effectively announced that the FBI had reopened the probe into Clinton’s emails.
What do the emails say?
Nobody really knows yet, save for Abedin who presumably sent the communications.
The emails could perhaps reveal more classified information was carelessly used by Clinton’s team, or they may reveal nothing.
There is so far no indication the FBI could eventually revisit its decision not to charge Clinton but Trump has warned of a “constitutional crisis” should she be charged while President.
It is this uncertainty that Clinton has seized upon and appealed to the FBI for more details.
“The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” she said.
We don’t know the facts, which is why we are calling on the FBI to release all the information that it has.
Electoral affairs
Frank Thorp V / TwitterBIG: The FBI is reopening its investigation into @HillaryClinton's email server. Here's the letter from the FBI to Congress: pic.twitter.com/OKjipTeiJp
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) October 28, 2016
The timing of the restarted investigation into Clinton has led to allegations that Comey may have broken the law by attempting to influence the course of the election.
Comey, a Republican appointee, has come under fire from Democrats for making the announcement so close to election day.
Dozens of former federal prosecutors have signed a letter critical of Comey’s decision but the White House has refused to criticise him.
Spokesman Josh Earnest said he would “neither defend nor criticise” Comey and that President Barack Obama considered Comey to be “a man of integrity, a man of principle and he’s a man of good character.”
With reporting by © – AFP 2016
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If you are famous or powerful it’s called a scandal, if you are a regular Joe is called breaking the law.
@Seth Cheffetz: The solution to Clinton’s dilemma ““The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” is simple, let her or Abedin give us the facts, after all it was the two of them who conspired to have this home-made server install. Clinton has a history of saying ‘I do not recall’ but surely Huma is young and presumably health and not suffering from ‘memory loss’
The only real danger to Hillary’s email problems is Trump will slip under the radar, and get elected……
Mack, the server was there since Bill’s presidency
@MackPilon:
The former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department and specialist in prevention of terrorism has released a video explaining the reasons for why senior people in the Department of Justice, State Department, FBI, CIA, Judiciary, etc have grouped together with wikileaks to highlight “The Hillary Clinton Takeover”.
It all started with the pardon of Mark Rich. Comey investigated Rich but Bill Clinton went against the advice of the then AG and FBI and pardoned Mark Rich on the President’s last day in office. The video is explosive and the Clinton Foundation gets a very bad report.
Steve Pieczenik – “The Hillary Clinton Takeover” – YouTube.
Hillary Clinton,Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills and others set up THIS private server, there may well have been others but THIS is the one that is important right now.
No damp squib Journal its a volcano and its about to errupt. Journal staff must traumatised to see their hero Clinton exposed. Remember your silly stories of alleged gropings every single day ?and now you’re trying to play down the most unbelievable stuff coming out about the criminal Cliintons. Pathetic
@frash:
And now Senior Armed Forces personnel are joining the group mentioned in my earlier comment.
They must have good reason.
@Christy Nolan: GWB pardoned Scooter Libby who covered for outing a CIA agent as payback for exposing Bush’s lies about Iraq WMD. That’s called treason.
@Christy Nolan: That video is exellent
@MackPilon:
Not a mention of it on Pravda or any other Irish media outlet. I makes you wondr if there is an Irish connection besides Declan Kelly or are the government lapdogs that scared of Trump. Whatever rreason it shows us Irish how to tackle corruption by the “ruling class”.
@Val Martin:
http://christiantimesnewspaper.com/sources-nypd-looking-to-press-charges-against-bill-clinton-for-underage-sex-ring/
What is contained in this latest batch of emails is probably of little relevance. That their existence has emerged, coupled with the fact that the FBI had been aware of them for several weeks beforehand, just reinforces in the minds of the electorate the impression of untrustworthiness in Mrs Clinton that she has never managed to shake off. Had the FBI come clean about them when it first knew, their impact would have been minimal, or at least containable. Now they are a total game changer. It also adds to the growing list of casualties of Mrs Clinton’s drive for the White House. First there was the Democratic Party leader Debbie Wasserman, who had to go when the efforts to fix the convention against Sanders came to light. Last week CNN dumped it’s journalist Ms Brazile who was found to have sent debate questions to the Clinton team in advance. And now Ms Abedin, Mrs Clinton’s right hand woman for years has been thrown under the bus in an effort to try an limit the damage this time. It would seem that being a woman around Mrs Clinton is a hazardous occupation.
Garry, the FBI had the device the emails were on Yes but could only look at them once they got a warrant on Sunday which is why Comey said he has no idea if they are relevant.
She’s done. Trump will be the next president. The CIA, FBI, Military & Police have made the simple decision of not allowing an evil corrupt leftist lying traitorous warhawk rule over them any longer. This will be a historical mark on a nation that has finally come to their senses that our government leaders do not serve us like they’re supposed to.
@Jimmy Rustle: and Trump has a strong record of working in the public interest as can be seen through his excellent political record and commendable charitable contributions.
I am also glad he is not a warmonger and hasn’t openly and unashamedly talked about using nuclear weapons or committing war crimes.
I am also glad he doesn’t sexually assault women.
What uneducated rubbish. Are you really that gullible.
@stopit: Regurgitation of the media shows how little you know. Hillary is already finished. I’m not bothered with giving details because it’s over now. Trumps already won and it’s got nothing to do with the emails.
Jimmy Rustle, Hilary Clinton a leftist!!! Good god man.
And, according to his ghost writer for ‘The Art of the Deal’, his first big deal in New York involved hiring a company of enforcers to harass rent-protected tenants and drive them out of a building he had bought so that it could be re-developed and sold.
@Jimmy Rustle: Umm, she’s not done.
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/?ex_cid=2016-forecast
@Philip Gerard: Yeah Philip, trust the Disney corporation for polling! haha.
@Early Cuyler: Why don’t you do a little digging on fivethirtyeight before embarrassing yourself. I doubt you even know what the number means.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/07/nate-silver-election-forecasts-right
The FBI were forced to inform the public only because of Wikileaks, but not to worry, the press here will not reveal such things, IE: this article is a prime example,
when the FBI investigate you thoroughly then u may end up at Walmart behind a checkout….. they have now investigated Clinton twice and she is still running for president
Thank God the journal is here to Hillsplain that all for us.
Definitely a smoking gun, given the Clintons history of knocking off loose ends with a suicide or random killing, the fact that some of the emails were found in a folder called life insurance and apparently linked to the Lolita express: Bills pedo ringleader friend Jeffrey Epstein, this should end Hillary for good.
Have you been watching house of cards again Joe?
@Joe Corleone: Trump, who raped a 13 year old, is the friend of Epstein.
I’ll not dispute that, but that doesn’t make the fact the Clintons are up to their necks in corruption, murder and rape go away…
”’—-Years of investigations into their affairs had made the Clintons wary of their privacy and the email server was installed at their home to house communications by the Clinton Foundation.—”
So let’s take a look at one of the e-mails the release of which was brought about by ‘Judicial Watch’ and then decide if Hillary is the victim of being pried upon as she claims,- or something else.
-
The U.S. State Department released 323 pages of messages sent by Hillary Clinton during her stint as secretary of State – including ones to and from Huma Abedin that were labeled as classified.
And among the findings: Revelations of the State Department under Clinton’s watch giving special treatment to a Clinton Foundation donor.
The documents were released via a Freedom of Information Act request made by Judicial Watch.
Here’s what Judicial Watch has to say about them so far:
—”“Judicial Watch today released 323 pages of new Department of State documents, including previously unreleased email exchanges in which Clinton and top aide Huma Abedin sent classified information over Clinton’s clintonemail.com unsecure email system. According to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions cited in the documents obtained by Judicial Watch, three of the Clinton-Abedin email exchanges contained material “classified to protect national security.
“Also included in the newly obtained documents is an additional instance of the State Department doing special favors for a high-dollar Clinton Foundation donor. And the documents include instances of the distribution by State Department officials of Clinton’s government schedule to members of the Clinton Foundation staff. …
“The emails also include an exchange between Abedin, Clinton personal assistant Lauren Jiloty, and Iris Anaya, the assistant to sugar magnate and Clinton Foundation donor Alfonso Fanjul concerning a request for special access to Clinton. On October 13, 2009, Anaya emailed Abedin seeking to arrange a meeting between Fanjul, the CEO of Florida Crystals, and Clinton. Jiloty responded the next day, asking that Anaya talk with Clinton scheduler Lona Valmoro about “setting up a meeting.” Fanjul donated more than $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation and was a Bill Clinton co-chairman in Florida.—”
https://pamelageller.com/2016/11/state-department-releases-deleted-emails-between-abedin-clinton.html-
…………………….Above is just the smallest tip of a huge iceberg according to many people ,not just Donald Trump supporters.
Here comes the copy and paste into long comments brigade. If people could just make their point summarising their opinion/statement, I’m sure it would be appreciated by most.
@Anto Curran: … demanding people post a certain way – you’re some diva aren’t you
The initial email scandal stinks from the highest order. Mrs. Clinton is not a naive lady, she was obviously well aware of the implications of using a private server. But let’s assume that her mealy mouthed claims were true. If under investigation for suspicious behaviour and security breaches how the hell was it that her and her lawyers got to decide what emails were relevant and which ones were “personal” Not only that, but to go as far as deleting them without a trace. Surely even this act in itself (no matter what was in the emails) stinks of treason. She gave up her right to privacy when she supposedly naively (stealthily) decided to take her dealings away from the watchful eye of others. Is it not grossly negligent that Clinton decided what is relevent without having an independent 3rd party present and then deleting over 30,000 documents that should have been under investigation. It is a disgrace that this person was allowed to proceed in this presidential race. She peddles advertisements, fear mongering that Trump will have his finger hovering over the “button”, Questions his temperament. And yet she had a complete disregard for the laws of her own country whilst holding one of the highest positions of office. Its disgusting how the gross grubiness of the political machine rolls over and spits out genuine, principled decent candidates, as Bernie Sanders appeared to be. If this person becomes president, which is still quite probable it will be a disgrace and you would have to question how much of a democracy America really is, when a candidate is promoted and has gotten this far, after such a blatant disregard for procedures and the law. Clinton epouses about how vile Trump is but in a way it is the likes of her that has created the monstrosity of hate that seems to be revolving around the trump campaign. People are sick of choices being forced upon them and corrupt entitlement. Personally I hope neither candidate reaches their quota of 270. If a few states could be taken by 3rd candidates, be it Evan McMullin in Utah or Bernie Sanders as a write in candidate in the few states he is eligible in (even though he has not advocated this) This will never happen but would love to see 3 candidates brought before the house of representatives and Clinton and Trump to fall flat on their faces. It would be a fitting finale to farcical and vitriolic campaign. If anything a 3rd candidate might help to smooth over the outflow of disgust should Clinton or Trump get voted, as either candidate will have the country divided. Alas wishful thinking as the last time a state was won by a 3rd candidate was 1968
@Eoru80: Do you feel better now? as Bernie’s himself said ‘enough with goddamn emails..Hillary for pres wah hey!!
It’s scary how many people would like to see an experiment with Donald Trump as leader of the most powerful country on Earth.
@IrishRS: ‘Those whom the gods wish to destroy etc, etc . . .’
When the gods really want to punish you they’ll answer your prayers
I’m pretty sure it’s damp squid!! Shocking journalism as always!
Jeremiah, just Google damp squib. All will be explained. Damp squid is incorrect.
A bigger question is why it was technically possible to send classified information in emails out of the organisation. Doesn’t seem that there was any bad intent in Clinton’s behalf. Did he work contract or oath of office explicitly state not to do this I wonder.
@lavbeer: colin powell also used a private email server when he was Secretary of state and advised Clinton to do the same
Except he returned all his and didn’t break the law. Article showing 10 people who got punished for less than what hillary did http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/hillary-clinton-email-10-punished-less/
@Maurice Bourke: they were released because of a hack.
I was under impression that the others (including Powell) used private email addresses – gmail, aol etc., but that Clinton was only one to use a private server.
@stopit: that is incorrect. The wikileaks emails refer to John Podesta not Hillary Clinton hence why they are called the Podesta leaks.
@Maurice Bourke: sorry, I was referring to the Colin Powell emails that were hacked then leaked.
@stopit: sorry misunderstood what you said.
@Neil Keegan: the FBI cleared her of criminal wrongdoing in the last investigation.
I’m not going to assume this next investigation will be any different. it may be, but it is just bias to assume it will be different.
as for Trump’s fitness for office, who the hell knows. he has no political experience whatsoever, has been making policies up as he goes along, is completely erratic and denies saying things he said an hour before saying them.
that’s aside from his fascistic “ban all muslims” “a judge is unfit to work because he is a mexican” and his admitting to sexual assaulting women
@stopit: Yes Trump has said bad things about groups of people, however Hillary called half of Trumps followers sexist racist and misogynistic deplorables, that is millions of American voters. If you are upset with Trump’s words, these should have upset you as well.
@Maurice Bourke: I even admit, she was wrong to call of of his voters sexist racist and misogynistic deplorables. She should have said they are ALL sexist racist and misogynistic deplorables.
Neil, if he’s not hiding anything why is he hiding things? ie tax returns, medical history (from a real doctor)
@Maurice Bourke: yea, it was unfortunate to use a vague number like “half” but for a proportion of his supporters, such as the KKK, it is true that that are racist and sexist.
http://www.vox.com/2016/11/1/13480416/trump-supporters-sexism
@stopit:
Sorry but I can’t take a vox article seriously, it is as reliable as quoting Alex Jones. Example they include research survey in the article and don’t link to it but they link to themselves calling Trump supporters various insults about 10 times. Also it makes no mention of KKK.
Have you a different link?
@Maurice Bourke: there is a research study article linked to in the article but other links may help you.
a study finds “finds that Islamophobia is closely linked with support for Trump”
I can’t post multiple links……
“Trump supporters more likely to view blacks negatively – Reuters/Ipsos pol” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-race-idUSKCN0ZE2SW
“How sexism drives support for Donald Trump” (no direct link to study) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/10/23/how-sexism-drives-support-for-donald-trump/
also re. KKK – the KKK official newspaper endorsed trump but his campaign have distanced themselves – http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/the-ku-klux-klan-officially-endorses-donald-trump-for-president-a7392801.html
not the first time KKK people have endorsed Trump
Trump’s KKK and white supremacist supporters are planning to monitor election stations, many will be armed.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/suppress-black-vote-trump-campaign-230616
@stopit: Sorry I don’t look at these once I get home,
Your first study is based off 29 trump supporters which I don’t think is a large sample to be drawing conclusions.
The Reuters study seems legit, they view them more negatively than Hillary supporters. I am always surprised that it is always a black and white issue, Asian-Americans do exist but rarely get mentioned in these things.
The third study seems to be the same as the vox article, I would take issue with some of the questions, the premise i’d argue is incorrect that being anti-feminist now is equal to anti-woman etc.
It does seem the KKK would like him to win above Hillary but i’d argue the kkk is a very small fringe group.
On the subject of leaks, the bit I found interesting on the latest Wikileaks batch was the admission of financial and material support for the Islamic rebels through Saudi. Also the Saudi money involved in her campaign is also a hot one. The last release due soon I’m sure will have the real bangers in it. I think the most controversial aspect of Clinton is her PA Huma Abedin. That is a jar of desert scorpions.
Interesting as it is. Both candidates are just horrible. Trump is far worse but leaving him out of it she is also the worst candidate of the last 70 years. Bernie Sanders would have been welcomed with open arms around the world
Wasn’t many of the deleted emails not money to their Clinton Foundation for favours when she was in government and wasn’t that not the real scandal or am I wrong lol
She is for women and men in the Clinton Foundation are paid more than the women employees. Then she is for women and gays but more for the Saudis who throw gays off buildings and treat women like dirt, the flog bloggers and crucify Christians…
She works for Wall St and they nicknamed her the beast of Wall St, she supports global fracking and used her time in the US government to spread it globally… You can search all her stuff on yahoo but not on google and you can’t say a bad word about her on facebook, it is all crazy about her and her emails will show that. Who deletes emails and wipes servers that held those emails then?
Latest thing I heard was that her and Bill were CIA spies while at college, telling tales on other students who were supposedly their friends?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3896014/Hillary-unloads-Trump-s-conspiracy-theories-goes-vision-behavior-supporters-effort-goat.html Loosing it under stress???
There are many ironies here, but one that sticks out is the fact that the Clinton’s servers mails were requested and offered to the FBI, but the Wikileaks mails, (from a so called protected government mail server), were hacked. What it boils down to for most people who have opposing polarised views on Clinton and Trump, is that each believe the other is the Anti-Christ, and if they drop a sweet wrapper on the pavement, they should be locked up for eternity. They both leave a lot to be desired, but Trump is by far the worst thing that the could happen to America. Or the best thing if you are Vladimir Putin.
@David Knight:
Yes the media has turned this into an election about personality than about any policy. I however believe that Hillary’s wish to have a ‘no-fly zone’ in Syria could lead to more war. But that could be just her public policy which can be different to her private policy.
@Maurice Bourke: The no fly zone under her husband was working perfectly well in Iraq until GWB came to power, so you’re wrong.
@Philip Gerard:
You just compared the country of Syria in 2016 to the country of Iraq in 1990s.
One is known to be an ally of Russia (a nuclear superpower), one is not. Your comparison does not work.
@David Knight: What was hacked?! Nothing Wikileaks has was hacked. It gets LEAKED. WikiLEAKS. Seth Rich leaked the DNC emails and got double tapped, the Podesta email was phished and then submitted to WL, and so on…
@Maurice Bourke: ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which began after Iraq Invasion. Stop embarrassing yourself, just stop it.
@Philip Gerard:
You’re the only one embarrassing himself.
This woman is a liar and a professional con artist she shouldn’t get elected. I firmly believe that Mrs. Clinton is worst than most the idiots we call “politicians” in this country. Clinton has lied and cheated to get to where she is now, and it would be very ironic if she ended up losing to the orange gasbag.
I thought Sanders would not have stood a chance in the election because of how the right wing voters in America view socialism. But I have to say he would be walking it now if he was on the ballot
have your say