Harry Reid: James Comey might have broken federal law

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says FBI Director James B. Comey might have broken federal law through his “partisan actions” and that the bureau is sitting on “explosive” information involving Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.

Mr. Reid said Mr. Comey has resisted calls to release the “explosive” information the FBI supposedly has about Mr. Trump and his close advisers and their ties to Russia.

“By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicize it in the most negative light possible,” Mr. Reid wrote in the letter, dated Oct. 30.

That’s a reference to Mr. Comey telling Congress on Friday that a separate case led the bureau to find emails that could be relevant to Hillary Clinton’s private email set-up.

Mr. Reid said Mr. Comey’s actions might violate Hatch Act prohibitions on FBI officials using their authority to influence an election.

“Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law,” Mr. Reid said.

“The clear double-standard established by your actions strongly suggests that your highly selective approach to publicizing information, along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group,” he said.

Mr. Trump’s campaign dismissed Mr. Reid, who is not seeking re-election, as a politician on his way out the door.

“Harry Reid’s a political hack who’s on his way out, so he has nothing to lose. He’s not running for re-election, and quite honestly, thankfully,” Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie said Monday on “Fox and Friends.”

“These Democrats will do anything to try and muddy the waters, and we just need to let the FBI do their job,” Mr. Bossie said.

During the 2012 campaign, Mr. Reid alleged without evidence that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney didn’t pay taxes for a decade, later defending his actions by pointing out that Mr. Romney ended up losing the election.