The FBI’s director has been warned he could have broken US law by announcing an investigation into emails potentially linked to Hillary Clinton.
A senior Democrat has accused James Comey of illegally influencing the upcoming presidential election.
Meanwhile the FBI has obtained a warrant to begin reviewing emails from a Clinton aide, and whether they contain classified government information.
According to The Wall Street Journal, it is focusing on around 650,000 messages found on the laptop of former congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Mrs Clinton’s closest advisers.
A law enforcement official confirmed late on Sunday that investigators had obtained a search warrant to begin the review of Ms Abedin’s emails on Mr Weiner’s computer. The official said investigators would move expeditiously, but would not say when the review might be complete.
Tim Kaine, Mrs Clinton’s running mate, said Mr Comey owed it to the public to be more forthcoming about the emails under review by the FBI with the days ticking down to the November 8 election.
Calling Mr Comey’s announcement “extremely puzzling”, Mr Kaine said that if Mr Comey “hasn’t seen the emails, I mean they need to make that completely plain”.
Mr Comey’s actions on Friday have stirred up the White House race, energising Mr Trump as polls had shown him sliding and unnerved Democrats already worried about the presidency and down-ballot congressional races.
In a letter to Congress on Friday, Mr Comey said the FBI had recently come across new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified.
Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina are investigating online communications between Mr Weiner and a 15-year-old girl.
A law enforcement official said on Sunday that FBI investigators in the Weiner sexting probe knew for weeks about the existence of the emails that might be relevant to the Clinton email investigation.
Mr Comey said he was briefed on Thursday about that development and told Congress on Friday that investigators had found the emails. A second law enforcement official also said the FBI was aware for a period of time about the emails before Mr Comey was briefed, but the second official was not more specific.
Mr Trump has praised Mr Comey for his decision, declaring that he believes justice will finally be served.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Mr Comey was in “an impossible spot” when he acknowledged the FBI was looking into the messages. “Had he sat on the information, one can argue that he also would be interfering in the election,” by failing to disclose the review, she said.
The controversy over Mrs Clinton’s email practices while she served as secretary of state has dogged her for more than a year.
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