US President Obama has said he believes FBI Director James Comey was not trying to influence the election when he decided to re-examine a probe into Hillary Clinton's emails. Democrats blasted the timing of the move.
Obama named Comey, a Republican, FBI director in 2013Image: Reuters
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"I've said before and I'll say again, Jim Comey is a good man," US President Barack Obama said in an interview on MSNBC. "I do not believe that he is in any way trying to influence the election one way or another. I think he is a serious public servant who wants to do the right thing."
FBI Director James Comey has been the target of a barrage of criticism, mainly from Democrats, after he told Congress last week that the agency would examine a newly discovered trove of emails that appeared to be relevant to a probe into Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state.
The announcement, just days out from the presidential election, provided little detail about the nature of the emails. The decision also broke with longstanding FBI traditions of keeping investigations confidential and avoiding politically sensitive announcements close to a presidential election.
Some senior Democrats said they believed the move was careless and would unfairly influence the November 8 vote.
Obama told MSNBC that when investigating a case, unless something has been unearthed, investigators need to just do their job.
Earlier in the week, the president had implicitly criticized the FBI director, insisting US investigations should not operate based on "innuendo" or "incomplete information."
"We operate based on concrete decisions that are made," Obama said. "When this was investigated thoroughly the last time, the conclusion of the FBI, the conclusion of the Justice Department, the conclusion of repeated congressional investigations was that she had made some mistakes but that there wasn't anything there that was prosecutable," he said.
An initial year-long probe by the FBI into Clinton's use of the server ended in July. The inquiry found that Clinton had mishandled emails, but it did not call for criminal charges to be brought against her.
The email controversy has dogged Clinton for much of the campaign, with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seeking to hold the issue up as an example of his rival's untrustworthiness. Although the former secretary of state still retains a lead over Trump in opinion polls, the race for the White House has tightened significantly over the past week.
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Fun facts about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
Think you know everything there is to know about presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Here are some things that may surprise you, including their rather cavalier attitudes toward their own hair.
Image: Reuters/J. Young
Behind the public personas
In a race that seems to have lasted half an eternity, the US presidential candidates are finally heading down the homestretch. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's faces have been nearly omnipresent for over a year, but both have a number of unusual features that sometimes get ignored.
Image: DW/M. Santos
Hillary the conservative
Hillary Clinton grew up in a conservative household in Illinois. Her father manufactured drapery, and as a young woman she was a Republican who supported both Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon. It was only later that she became a Democrat and let down her hair - much to the delight of many a coiffeur.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Ron Sachs
Donald the political gadfly
In his earlier years, it was difficult to tell which party, if any, Trump supported. In the past he endorsed Democratic candidates, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, and some of his statements over the years have been remarkably liberal. He only found his way to the Republicans late in life - much to the dismay of some members of the party.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. A. Clary
Not initially convinced by Bill
Hillary Clinton initially owed her fame to the fact that she was married to the president of the United States. But when Bill first asked for her hand, she said no. He had to propose several times before she agreed to become his wife.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/Greg Gibson
Trump as pageant peeper
From 1996 until 2015, Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants, and by his own admission, he paid occasional visits to the contestants' backstage dressing areas to check that everything was in its … er … right place. That may account for Miss California's expression here.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
First female Wal-Mart board member
Clinton was the first female ever to serve on the board of US discount department store Wal-Mart. The company is - to put it delicately - not exactly known for being worker-friendly. Years later Hillary did a signing of her autobiography at one of Wal-Mart's many outlets, where employees would have had difficulty affording a copy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Jim Lo Scalzo
Trump's lucrative sideline
Although he got his start in real estate, Trump has appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including, of course, the reality show The Apprentice. He's a member of the Screen Actors' Guild and receives an annual pension of more than $110,000 for his work on screen. He got his recently repaired star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2007.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/N. Stern
Cows about that for a profit?
In this image, Bill seems to be taking more of an interest in cows, but it's Hillary who has more history with them. In the late 1970s, she turned $1,000 into nearly $100,000 trading in cattle futures. Critics say these dealings were corrupt, but no charges have ever been brought in connection with this bovine bonanza.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Honda
Inside the squared circle
Trump made numerous appearances inside the wrestling ring as part of a supposed feud with World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McMahon. What better preparation for the post-factual era? Trump's facility with rigged battles earned him induction into the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Wanna bet that he'd love to re-enact this scene with Hillary?
Image: Getty Images
A woman of do's and don'ts
As first lady, Clinton was known for experimenting with various styles. In 1996 "Vanity Fair" magazine claimed that she had sported 43 different hairstyles in the White House - enough to suit a broad variety of occasions. This is the one she wore when talking about Monica Lewinsky, the intern with whom her husband had an affair.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Naltchayan
Just says no
Donald Trump insists that he has never tried alcohol and cigarettes, and among his many claims, this one stands out because it seems to be true. Those who know and have met him confirm that he is indeed a teetotaler. What was that again about power being the ultimate drug?
Image: Getty Images/AFP/K. Betancour
A woman of the world
As secretary of state, Clinton visited more foreign countries (112) than any previous holder of that office. (For the record, Condoleezza Rice logged more flight miles.) When she stepped down in 2013, her staff gave her a football jersey with the number 112.
Image: Getty Images/Department of State
A hands-off candidate
Much was made about Trump and Clinton not shaking hands before their second debate, but in fact the Donald prefers not to shake hands with anyone and is regarded as a germaphobe. It's a quality also associated with Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, Nikola Tesla and Adolf Hitler.
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/S. Walsh
Clinton, the Grammy winner
Many detractors - and not a few supporters - find Hillary Clinton's voice grating to the ear. But that didn't prevent her from winning a Grammy in 1997 for best spoken word performance for the audio-book of her autobiography "It Takes a Village." BTW: Celine Dion won for best album that year. You draw the conclusions.
Image: picture-lliance/dpa
Always on center court
Almost everything about Trump seems a bit larger than life and beyond belief, so why should his legal history be any different? The Republican has been involved some 3,500 lawsuits in US federal and state courts. That's close but not quite good enough for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. Note to Donald: Must try harder.
