Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on
White House rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday over her email practices
after the FBI said it was looking into the case once again.
Meanwhile, top aides to Democrat Clinton
bitterly criticized the FBI chief for reviving — less than two weeks
before the November 8 presidential election — the controversy over her
use of private email while secretary of state.
Campaigning in the western state of
Colorado, which has been leaning toward Clinton, an ebullient Trump
denounced what he called the “criminal and illegal conduct of Hillary
Clinton,” prompting chants from the crowd of “Lock her up!”
“This is the biggest political scandal
since Watergate,” said the real estate tycoon, who has been dogged
himself by scandal over alleged sexual misconduct. “Hillary has nobody
to blame but herself.”
The 70-year-old Trump said he hoped
“justice at last can be properly delivered” in the email case, which
appeared concluded in July when FBI director James Comey recommended
that no charges be filed against Clinton.
In a surprise announcement on Friday,
however, Comey said FBI agents are investigating a newly discovered
group of emails sent to Clinton’s private address.
– ‘The full story’-
According to the New York Times, the
newly discovered emails emerged after agents seized electronic devices
used by Clinton’s closest aide, Huma Abedin, and her husband, Anthony
Weiner.
Weiner, a Democratic former congressman
who resigned in 2011 after he was exposed for sending explicit online
messages, is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual
messages to a 15-year-old girl.
Echoing a call made by Clinton herself
on Friday, the Democratic candidate’s campaign manager Robby Mook urged
the FBI director on Saturday to provide more information about the
inquiry.
“He owes the public the full story or
else he shouldn’t have cracked open this door in the first place,” Mook
said on a conference call with reporters.
The Washington Post reported Saturday
that Justice Department officials had warned the FBI director that his
move violated long-standing tradition not to do anything that could
influence an election in its waning days.
While criticizing Comey, Mook sought at
the same time to play down the impact the revived email scandal would
have on Clinton’s chances of becoming America’s first woman president.
“We don’t see it as changing the
landscape,” he said. “In terms of undecided or persuadable voters, what
we are seeing is a growing intensity among our supporters both online
and out in the field.”
Clinton has been regularly leading in
the polls but an ABC/Washington Post survey out Saturday gave her just a
47 percent to 45 percent lead nationwide, a drastic fall from her
12-point lead in the same poll a week ago.
According to the Real Clear Politics
average of multiple polls, Clinton still holds a 44.9 percent to 41.1
percent lead over Trump nationwide.
Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta
accused Comey of releasing “selective information” in his letter to
lawmakers telling them the FBI was once again looking at Clinton’s
emails.
“Director Comey was the one who wrote a
letter that was light on facts, heavy on innuendo, knowing full well
what Republicans in Congress would do with it,” Podesta told reporters.
“He’s allowed partisans to distort and
exaggerate in order to inflict maximum political damage,” he said. “And
no one can separate what is true from what is not, because Comey has not
been forthcoming with the facts.
“There’s no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing,” he said.
– Florida battleground –
While Trump was campaigning in Colorado
and Arizona on Saturday, Clinton was in Florida, a state seen as crucial
for victory by both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Clinton was scheduled to hold a “Get Out The Vote” rally with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez in Miami Saturday night.
Both candidates have been urging
supporters to cast early ballots. Early voting has kicked off so far in
34 of the 50 US states and more than 18 million votes have already been
cast.
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