The FBI knew for at least a month that emails possibly related to an investigation of Hillary Clinton had been found before telling Congress, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday evening.
According to the report, citing “text messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal,” FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe knew by Sept. 28, 2016, about the findings on Anthony Weiner’s computer.
FBI Director James Comey alerted Congress on Oct. 28.
“In the text messages reviewed by the Journal, FBI agent Peter Strzok, who led the probe into Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server, told FBI lawyer Lisa Page on Sept. 28 that he had just been summoned to speak to Mr. McCabe about the newly discovered emails,” the Journal wrote.
Federal investigators had been scouring for Mrs. Clinton’s emails since she acknowledged using a private server and email for government business — potentially frustrating numerous open-records and Congressional investigative requests.
In the course of a child-pornography investigation of Weiner, who was then married to close Clinton confidante Huma Abedin, some of Mrs. Clinton’s emails were found.
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That discovery prompted Mr. Comey to re-open just weeks before the presidential election the investigation of whether Mrs. Clinton’s email practices violated the law, or led to violations, after having declined that summer to prosecute the Democratic presidential nominee. After a short review, the Weiner emails showed nothing incriminating and Mr. Comey again closed the case.
The month-long lag between the FBI learning of the Weiner emails and Mr. Comey telling Congress is part of a Justice Department’s inspector general, probe of FBI actions during the presidential-election season, the Journal wrote, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
Mr. McCabe resigned as FBI deputy director this week after having come under a barrage of criticism from President Trump and other Republicans as part of a “swamp” culture biased for Mrs. Clinton and against Mr. Trump.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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