Clinton presidential campaign hit by FBI
email probe 11 days before election
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[October 29, 2016]
By Steve Holland
MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign was hit on Friday by
the FBI's reopening of its investigation into her use of a private email
server while secretary of state, eroding a political boost from a strong
U.S. economic report.
With just 11 days to go before the Nov. 8 election, FBI Director James
Comey said in a letter to several congressional Republicans that the
agency had learned of the existence of emails that appeared to be
pertinent to its investigation.
However, he said the FBI did not know if the emails were significant and
did not provide a time frame for the probe.
Republican Donald Trump's campaign reacted with glee. His campaign
manager, Kellyanne Conway, said on Twitter that "a great day in our
campaign just got even better."
The resurrection of the email issue, which has dogged Clinton's campaign
from the start, dimmed a day that had featured good news for her effort
to win the White House.
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The Commerce Department reported that the economy grew at a 2.9 percent
annual rate in the third quarter, its fastest pace in two years and
higher than the expected 2.6 percent, thanks to a surge in exports and a
rebound in investment.
The report had bolstered Clinton, who has positioned herself as the best
candidate to continue years of economic expansion under Democratic
President Barack Obama.
More Americans say jobs and the economy are their No. 1 priority when
they decide who to vote for than any other issue.
Trump argues that as a successful businessman and political outsider, he
is the best person to take a new approach to rebuilding an economy that
has sent too many jobs overseas and left many Americans struggling to
find decent jobs.
His campaign said the figures are still not good enough.
"America can do better than the modest growth of 2.9 percent recorded
for the 3rd quarter and the dismal growth of 1.5 percent for the past
year," Dan Kowalski, Trump's deputy policy director, said in a
statement.
While many voters do not follow economic indicators closely, outside
experts said the release was still a good one for Clinton. She is
seeking to solidify her lead in opinion polls as the Democratic Party
works to win as many seats as possible in the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives, where Republicans now control majorities.
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![](../images/102916pics/news_v39.jpg)
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton talks to staff
members, including aide Huma Abedin (L), onboard her campaign plane
in White Plains, New York, U.S. October 28, 2016. REUTERS/Brian
Snyder
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Clinton has also been looking to broaden the electoral map. Her
campaign said on Friday that she would campaign in Arizona next
week.
"Today's release will likely improve the perception of economic
conditions in the U.S. and slightly increase the odds of a
Democratic president remaining in the White House," said Brian
Schaitkin, senior economist at the Conference Board.
Clinton's camp said Friday's report showed "real progress" since
Obama took office in 2009, when the country was struggling to emerge
from economic recession.
"With more than 15 million jobs created since early 2010 and real
median incomes growing more than 5 percent last year, it's clear
we've made real progress coming back from the crisis," Clinton
senior policy advisor Jacob Leibenluft said in a statement.
But he added that there is still more that can be done.
Clinton was campaigning on Friday in Iowa, where polls show she and
Trump running neck-and-neck, and in Michigan, a traditionally
Democratic state hit hard by the movement offshore of many formerly
well-paying American manufacturing jobs.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Oct/29/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png)
Trump was holding rallies in Iowa as well as in another closely
contested swing state, New Hampshire, and in Maine, where his
campaign sees a chance to grab one of four electoral votes.
(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle in
Washington; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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