Obama Doesn't Believe FBI Director Trying to Influence Election

The White House says it will remain neutral regarding the reopening of an investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private server, after the discovery of more emails that FBI Director James Comey said may be relevant.

After a letter from Comey to Congress on Friday, which stated that new emails found on a laptop used by Clinton aide Huma Abedin "appear to be pertinent to our investigation," members of both parties have criticized the timing of the move.

Today the White House declined to state an opinion on Comey's action.

"I'll neither defend nor criticize what Director Comey has decided to communicate to the public about this investigation," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in Monday's press briefing.

In an effort to stay neutral on the topic, Earnest said the White House will continue to be "scrupulous" in "avoiding even the appearance of political interference" on the investigative authorities entrusted to the Department of Justice and FBI.

He also said the president doesn't think Comey is trying to sway the presidential race.

"The president doesn't believe that Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election," he said. "The president doesn't believe that he's secretly strategizing to benefit one candidate or one political party."

And though he would not weigh in on the FBI Director's letter, Earnest said the president maintains a high opinion of Comey and has confidence in his ability to do his job.

"Director Comey is a man of integrity, he's a man of principle and he's a man of good character," Earnest said.

The latest revelations over Clinton's emails come as the president prepares to undertake a vigorous campaigning schedule in support of Clinton. Earnest said he would not expect "a dramatic change" in the president's pitch for Clinton, but noted that even prior to Friday’s letter, the president wasn’t spending a lot of time dwelling on the topic of Clinton's emails. He also said the president's confidence in Clinton and her qualifications to succeed him in the Oval Office remains unchanged.

Earnest said he believes Clinton's critics are trying to capitalize on the letter "to promote controversy."

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from ABC News: Politics http://ift.tt/2fnFrhW

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