Prominent Republicans were quick Friday to jump on what they saw as extremely belated good news in FBI Director James Comey’s announcement to Congress that his agency was looking into new emails related to its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private server.
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson that Comey “needs” to reopen the FBI investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state.
“If it opens up this case again, then I think that’s something that needs to happen,” King said.
He claimed that the Justice Department had been hoodwinked by “straw man” claims from the Clinton campaign about Russian interference in the election, calling it “a shame and a tragedy.”
King called the previous investigation into Clinton’s email server a “sham.”
“Who were they going to indict if they weren’t going to indict Hillary?” he said. “If someone dupes you the first time, shame on you. If they dupe you the second time, that’s double shame.”
“The more we learn about Secretary Clinton’s use of a private email server, the clearer it becomes that she and her associates committed wrongdoing and jeopardized national security,” House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) wrote in a statement.
“A great day in our campaign just got even better,” Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway tweeted.
A great day in our campaign just got even better. FBI reviewing new emails in Clinton probe @CNNPolitics https://t.co/WBltG2lAK6
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 28, 2016
Conway told Yahoo News that Comey’s announcement was “superb” and “extraordinary news for the American people.”
“They deserve to have a transparent and accountable federal government,” Conway said. “This woman lied repeatedly and America knows it.”
“Case reopened,” House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) tweeted, although the letter from Comey did not indicate a reopening of the investigation.
FBI Dir just informed me, “The FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.” Case reopened
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) October 28, 2016
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) released a statement calling Comey’s announcement “long overdue.”
BREAKING NEWS → The FBI is reopening its investigation into Secretary Hillary Clinton.
My full statement ⇩ pic.twitter.com/LHfyg46dWk
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) October 28, 2016
Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer told MSNBC’s Kate Snow that Comey’s announcement gives him “hope” the investigation is being taken seriously.
“To me, this is a potential game changer,” Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told Snow in a later interview. “I don’t think we can overestimate how important this is.”
He said that he thought the announcement was “very, very significant” otherwise Comey would not have made the announcement so close to Election Day.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, had several questions for Comey. “Why is FBI doing this just 11 days before the election?” he tweeted:
Why would FBI reopen Hillary investigation unless there is evidence of more than “extreme carelessness” in handling classified information?
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 28, 2016
Will FBI ask DOJ to seek convening of a grand jury?
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 28, 2016
What does AG Loretta Lynch do if FBI asks to present new evidence to a grand jury?
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 28, 2016
Why is FBI doing this just 11 days before the election?
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 28, 2016
Correction: Due to an editing error, the original version of this story reported that the new emails were from Clinton’s private server, which goes beyond what Comey’s letter states. Reporting that has come out since has suggested that emails from Clinton’s private email server were found on devices owned by Anthony Weiner and Human Abedin seized by the FBI.
This post has been updated.
More proof that GOPers are starving due to all of the nothing burgers Hillary’s server has served them.
I’m so sorry I have to vote for this self serving, money grubbing woman. I wish her and her oily husband would disappear from the scene. Now we get at least 4 years of bullshit investigations without a single piece of meaningful legislation passed. This is the best the Democrats could do? Quick, tell me who’s up next for the Dems. No? You can’t because for the party and their zombies it’s been Hillary and only Hillary since 2008. Uggh.
That is Hillary-ous.
Heck, Toomey, Rubio: Better late than never. We will take it. This is great.
Apparently Russian and American intelligence agencies CAN work together.