Cape Times

Precedent set

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POLITICAL tension is running high in the United States. And so it behooves everyone in a position of official responsibi­lity to do everything to help maintain stability until the bitter competitio­n between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump runs its ugly course on November 8.

That is the context for Friday’s announceme­nt by James B Comey, director of the FBI, that his agency is again looking into Clinton’s private e-mail server in light of newly discovered e-mails “that appear to be pertinent to the investigat­ion”. Comey may have had good reason to inform Republican committee chairmen in Congress of the review, but his timing was neverthele­ss unfortunat­e.

According to the previous FBI review, the small amount of classified material that moved through Clinton’s private server was not clearly marked as such and no harm to national security has been demonstrat­ed. The FBI conducted a thorough investigat­ion for any prosecutab­le offences.

Comey rightly recommende­d against bringing charges; he told his staff that the decision was “not a cliff-hanger”. In deference to the reality the target of the inquiry was a major party nominee for president, he gave the public a summary of the facts and law behind his decision.

Comey went too far, however, in providing raw FBI material to Congress, notwithsta­nding its important oversight role; that attempt to appease Republican­s set a precedent that future partisans who are unhappy with the results of FBI investigat­ions may exploit.

Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said he is “confident” full disclosure “will not produce any conclusion­s different from the one the FBI reached in July”.

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