FBI reveals search warrant for Clinton email probe

The federal probe into Clinton’s use of a personal email server while she was secretary of state appeared to be closed in July, when FBI Director James Comey took the unprecedented step of giving a press conference to explain why he advised the Department of Justice not to press any charges in the matter. On October 28, however, Comey sent a letter to Congress informing the lawmakers that emails that “appear to be pertinent to the investigation” were recovered in connection with an “unrelated case.”

BREAKING: FBI search warrant unsealed in Clinton email probe pic.twitter.com/TJ3U7nzG4a

— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) December 20, 2016

The emails in question were apparently found during a search of the computer belonging to former Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-New York), the husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner was accused of sending sexually explicit images to a minor.

US District Judge Peter Kevin Castel ordered the release of the search warrant, the FBI’s request for it, and the inventory of what was recovered, by noon on Tuesday.

The FBI said it had probable cause to believe emails on a laptop it seized this year from Clinton aide contained classified information. pic.twitter.com/sq55Sfni8q

— Brad Heath (@bradheath) December 20, 2016

Comey notified Congress on November 6 that the FBI had “not changed our conclusions” regarding Clinton since July, closing the case again. The damage had been done by then, according to both Clinton and statistician Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.

Others have noted, however, that Clinton’s massive dip in the polls took place days before Comey’s letter, following the Obama administration’s announcement that health care premiums under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, would skyrocket in 2017.

The most ironic part of the FBI's Weiner/Abedin/Clinton e-mail search warrant affidavit: https://t.co/eQCREPgNy6 pic.twitter.com/KtNAs5BuCg

— Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) December 20, 2016