Hillary on brink of disaster after FBI def ied order not to meddle in election
Clinton’s poll lead crashed even before email storm
HILLARY CLINTON’S White House hopes were last night ebbing away as her lead over Donald Trump was cut to just two points in the latest poll – taken before the new FBI probe into the Democrat candidate.
The investigation looks certain to further damage her bid to become America’s first woman president.
The latest blow for her campaign comes barely a week after she had enjoyed a double-digit lead over her Republican rival.
Now Friday’s decision by FBI Director James Comey to release details of new emails connected to Mrs Clinton threatens to derail her campaign at the 11th hour.
With the election just nine days away, it emerged that US Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, had advised Comey not to disclose details of the fresh investigation.
Ms Lynch, who is Comey’s boss, told the FBI chief to follow Justice Department protocol and ‘not take any actions that could influence the outcome of a presidential election’.
But Comey ignored her advice and wrote a letter to Congress revealing ‘pertinent’ new emails had been uncovered on the laptop of Clinton’s adviser Huma Abedin and that he was reopening his investigation into whether Clinton illegally handled classified information during her time as Secretary of State.
Clinton lashed out at Comey, demanding he release the new emails ‘without delay’, saying: ‘The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately.’
Abedin’s computer was seized by the FBI as part of a separate investigation into her estranged husband Anthony Weiner, who is accused of ‘sexting’ a 15-year-old girl.
The new ABC/Washington Post poll was taken 24 hours before the new scandal erupted. Clinton, who a week ago was 12 points ahead, is now down to 47 per cent to Trump’s 45 per cent.
Clinton is ‘fighting for her political life’, according to one pundit who added: ‘This could be a turning point.’
A jubilant Trump called the scandal ‘bigger than Watergate’ saying the FBI would not have reopened the email probe ‘unless they had evidence of a most egregious criminal offence’.
A Justice Department source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘There are at least a thousand newly discovered emails. It is unlikely the investigation will be concluded before the election.’
A political source added: ‘If any emails are found to contain classified information that will be the end of Hillary. Equally even if there is no smoking gun, it could still affect her if the contents of the new emails are not released to the public.’
Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta last night said Comey ‘owes the public the full story’.