Veteran journalist Carl Bernstein told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin that the FBI probably has a “bombshell” as the agency begins to review another batch of emails involving Hillary Clinton that were found in a separate probe looking into Anthony Weiner’s online interactions with an underage girl. That probe only involved his communications on his laptop, which was also used by his estranged wife Huma Abedin to email the former first lady. That’s what sent Washington D.C. into a frenzy yesterday; the FBI reopening their investigation into the Clinton emails. Bernstein said that 36-48 hours prior to the FBI’s announcement, he had heard chatter from sources within the national security community that something about Clinton’s emails was going to be resurrected. The hunch was that it related to the Wikileaks document dumps. That wasn’t the case. Bernstein also described the way Clinton has handled this fiasco as “indefensible” (via Real Clear Politics):
Well, there's no question that the e-mails have always been the greatest threat to her candidacy for president, that her conduct in regard to the e-mails is really indefensible and if there was going to be more information that came out, it was the one thing, as I said on the air last night, actually that could really perhaps affect this election.We don't know what this means yet except that it's a real bombshell. And it is unthinkable that the Director of the FBI would take this action lightly, that he would put this letter forth to the Congress of the United States saying there is more information out there about classified e-mails and call it to the attention of congress unless it was something requiring serious investigation. So that's where we are...
Is it a certainty that we won't learn before the election? I'm not sure it's a certainty we won't learn before the election.
One thing is, it's possible that Hillary Clinton might want to on her own initiative talk to the FBI and find out what she can, and if she chooses to let the American people know what she thinks or knows is going on. People need to hear from her...
Last night, Clinton decided to put the burden of responsibility on the FBI to release more details on their renewed investigation that will review these emails. Make a note: none of these emails were from her. Still, there are thousands of emails to be reviewed on the Weiner/Abedin computer, which could take us way past Election Day. This isn’t going to be a quick review. Friends and allies of Clinton went ballistic over the news, accusing the FBI of gross innuendo by merely saying the case was reopened 11 days from Election Day. Then again, if Comey had kept his mouth shut and it was revealed that the FBI was revealing new emails without telling the public says after the election, the backlash would be significant. Either way, this decision from the FBI was going to be politicized. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario. CNN’s David Gergen agreed that Comey should have informed the public about this latest development into Clinton’s emails, though he added that the letter Comey sent to Congress didn’t offer details. He added that the FBI should have divulged more details rather than let this thing dangle in front of us without further clarification.
Well, if there is a bombshell in these communications, we’ll have to wait a bit before to see what it is if it even exists at all.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member