Donald Trump accuses Hillary Clinton of "politicizing" FBI probe
WASHINGTON — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign (all times EDT):
10 p.m.
Donald Trump is accusing Hillary Clinton of trying to "politicize" the FBI's decision to investigate whether there was classified information on a device belonging to the estranged husband of one of her closest aides.
Trump is speaking at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Friday night. He says Clinton lied by claiming that FBI Director James Comey only notified Congressional Republicans about the development. Some Democrats were also notified.
Trump went on to say "the FBI would never have reopened this case unless it was a most egregious offense."
It is not yet clear if there is any sensitive material in the new emails, which were found amid a sexting investigation of Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin.
Clinton called on Comey to release the contents of the email investigation.
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8:15 p.m.
Mike Pence has long accused Hillary Clinton of "playing fast and loose" with governmental ethics and now says "it sounds like the Department of Justice is starting to feel that way, too."
The Republican vice presidential nominee is referring to the FBI's announcement that it was reviewing newly discovered emails to see if they are relevant to its closed investigation into Clinton's private email server.
The messages were discovered during a sexting investigation of Anthony Weiner, the soon-to-be ex-husband of a longtime Clinton aide, Huma Abedin.
Pence says the agency should release "all the emails pertinent" to its investigation before Election Day.
Pence is appearing at a Friday night get-out-the-vote rally in Smithfield, North Carolina, along with Gov. Pat McCrory.
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7:10 p.m.
Hillary Clinton is calling on the FBI to release more information about its review of emails that may be related to its investigation into her private server.
Clinton says "Let's get it out."
The Democratic presidential candidate says the American people deserve to have as much information as possible before they vote Nov. 8.
Clinton says she's confident investigators won't find information that would cause the FBI to change its decision to close the investigation without filing charges in July.
Clinton spoke hours after the FBI announced it was reviewing newly discovered emails to see if they are relevant to its closed investigation into her private email server.
The messages were discovered during a federal sexting investigation of Anthony Weiner, the soon-to-be ex-husband of a longtime Clinton aide, Huma Abedin.
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6:50 p.m.
Tim Kaine says it's "very, very troubling" that the FBI is releasing information about a new probe into emails that may relate to Hillary Clinton just 11 days before the election.
The Democratic vice presidential nominee is commenting on the development in an interview with Vice News. The FBI says emails found in a sexting investigation of former congressman Anthony Weiner may contain classified information related to Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. Weiner is the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin.
Kaine says the FBI director needs to provide more details on the situation. He suggests it's troubling that members of the press are finding out information before campaign officials.
Kaine's comments echo a statement made by Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
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6:25 p.m.
President Barack Obama is staying silent on the FBI director's announcement of an investigation into new emails related to Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.
Obama is in Orlando, Florida, encouraging voters — young voters in particular — to take advantage of their opportunity to cast their ballots before Election Day on Nov. 8.
Just before Obama left Washington on Friday, FBI Director James Comey announced in a letter to Congress that his agency will investigate newly found emails.
A U.S. official told The Associated Press that the emails were uncovered during the sexting investigation of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner is the estranged husband of one of Clinton's closest aides.
Obama says Clinton is the only candidate who can continue the progress the U.S. has achieved during his presidency.
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6:05 p.m.
The Republican National Committee says Democratic efforts to get emails from it in a voter intimidation lawsuit are an attempt to gather intelligence.
The Democratic National Committee wants a judge to allow it to read any emails between Donald Trump's campaign and the RNC about issues related to ballot security and voter suppression.
A federal judge in New Jersey has scheduled arguments for next week after the DNC accused the RNC of supporting the efforts of Trump's campaign "to intimidate and discourage minority voters" from voting.
A lawyer for the RNC says the DNC's request would bury the committee in document review "at the most critical point of the election cycle." The judge is set to rule Monday.
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5:45 p.m.
The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is asking for a briefing from the FBI after the agency told Congress it is looking for classified information in newly discovered emails that appear to be related to its probe of Hillary Clinton's email practices.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley says in a statement that the letter "was unsolicited and, quite honestly, surprising." He says it left more questions than answers.
Grassley says "Congress and the public deserve more context to properly assess what evidence the FBI has discovered and what it plans to do with it."
Grassley said at a campaign event in Iowa Friday that he thinks the revelation is "going to be a real problem for the Clintons" but he has to wait for more information.
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5:35 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden has no plans to serve in the next administration.
That's according to an individual briefed on the vice president's plans after reports that he's on the list of possible contenders for Hillary Clinton's secretary of state, should the Democrat win the November presidential election.
It's unclear how many people are under consideration or whether Clinton herself has asked for Biden to be considered for a job she once held.
A person familiar with Biden's post-White House plans says the vice president has not been contacted by the Clinton campaign. The people familiar with Clinton and Biden's plans both insisted on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal planning.
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5:30 p.m.
Hacked emails show Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman was sent a message in March that said someone utilizing a computer server in Ukraine had obtained his password and was trying to access his Gmail account.
Messages released by WikiLeaks on Friday include the alert to John Podesta and a subsequent exchange with a campaign IT staffer. The staffer told Podesta the email that appeared to be from Google was legitimate and urged him to immediately change his password and take further precautions.
It is not immediately clear how Podesta responded. Hackers later downloaded tens of thousands of emails from Podesta's accounts that have since been posted on the internet.
The hack is among several recent cyberattacks intended to influence the presidential election. U.S. intelligence officials blame them on Russia.
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5:25 p.m.
The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says it is "appalling" that the FBI is saying so close to the election that it will investigate newly discovered emails that appear to be related to its probe of Hillary Clinton's email practices.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she was "shocked" to read FBI Director James Comey's letter to members of Congress in which he said new emails have emerged, prompting the agency to "take appropriate investigative steps" to review information.
Feinstein says Comey's announcement "played right into the political campaign of Donald Trump, who is already using the letter for political purposes."
She says the FBI has a tradition of caution before Election Day, but "today's break from that tradition is appalling."
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5:1o p.m.
Donald Trump is again seizing on the FBI's decision to investigate new messages connected to Hillary Clinton's emails.
Trump opened his Friday rally in Maine by saying he has "great respect for the FBI for righting this wrong."
He says the "the American people fully understand her corruption" and he hopes "justice will finally be served."
Trump, however, did not immediately mention his frequent target, former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner.
The new emails were discovered as part of an investigation into whether Weiner traded explicit messages with an underage girl.
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4:35 p.m.
The chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign says FBI Director James Comey owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what his agents are now examining related to the Democratic nominee.
John Podesta was responding Friday to a letter from Comey informing Congress that the FBI is investigating whether there is classified information in new emails that have emerged in its probe of Clinton's private server.
Podesta says Comey's letter was extraordinary, coming just 11 days out from the presidential election. Podesta says he is confident the new information will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July, when the bureau closed its investigation without f
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4:30 p.m.
Senior Obama administration officials planning the transition to the next president are discussing lines of communication with the President-elect's team.
The White House says the president-elect will appoint teams to work alongside agencies between the Nov. 8 election and the Jan. 20 inauguration. That's what was done during past transitions.
The administration is also preparing agency-specific briefings for the agency teams.
One task the new president must complete fairly quickly is developing a budget for the next fiscal year. It's due on Capitol Hill shortly after the inauguration.
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough convened the White House Transition Coordinating Council to discuss the changeover. Representatives from Hillary Clinton's and Donald Trump's transition teams attended, along with more than a dozen White House and administration officials.
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4:10 p.m.
A U.S. official says newly discovered emails that have prompted a new FBI review of the Hillary Clinton email investigation came from a separate sexting probe of former congressman Anthony Weiner.
Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina are investigating online communications between Weiner and a 15-year-old girl.
The official said Friday that the emails referenced by FBI Director James Comey surfaced during that investigation. The official was familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Comey told members of Congress on Friday that newly discovered emails believed to be related to the Clinton case were prompting a new review.
The New York Times first reported the connection
—Eric Tucker and Michael Biesecker in Washington
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4 p.m.
The White House says it had no advance warning about FBI Director James Comey's decision to investigate new emails related to a probe of Hillary Clinton's private email server.
Spokesman Eric Schultz says the White House learned of Comey's decision from news reports.
Comey informed Congress in a letter that his agency will investigate new emails in connection with a probe of Clinton's server.
Schultz says President Barack Obama expects the FBI will follow the facts wherever they lead.
Obama ignored shouted questions about Comey's decision as he left the White House to campaign for Clinton in Orlando, Florida.
The FBI closed its criminal investigation into Clinton's use of the email server in July.
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3:20 p.m.
Mike Pence is saluting first-responders around the United States by referencing the work of police and firefighters after his campaign plane skidded off the runway in New York City.
The Republican vice presidential nominee is telling a rally in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, on Friday that emergency personnel "rushed to our plane site almost before the plane stopped rolling."
The first responders surrounded Pence's campaign plane Thursday night, after it landed hard on a rainy runway at LaGuardia Airport and slid sideways onto the grass.
No one was injured, and a calm Pence walked back to the press cabin moments later to say he was fine.
His campaign used a different plane to get to Pennsylvania, and will have another new aircraft for a later flight to North Carolina.
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3:15 p.m.
Donald Trump is holding a roundtable in New Hampshire to discuss America's heroin epidemic.
Trump said at the event Friday in Manchester that it's "a wild day out there." He said there's "nothing more important than solving America's drug problem."
Trump expressed surprise that New Hampshire would have issues with drugs, saying "It doesn't seem to go with the trees and the winding roads."
Trump has outlined a plan to combat opioid addiction that includes trying to fast-track drugs that combat addiction.
He's also reminding the group that the state was his "first victory" in the Republican primaries and that he won in "a landslide" so he feels "a special kinship" with the state.
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3:10 p.m.
Vice President Joe Biden is on the list of possible contenders for Hillary Clinton's secretary of state, should the Democrat win the November election.
That's according to a person familiar with Clinton's transition planning. It's unclear how many people are under consideration or whether Clinton herself has asked for Biden to be considered for a job she once held.
Clinton aides are trying to tamp down speculation that they're already planning for the White House.
A person familiar with Biden's post-White House plans says the vice president has not been contacted by the campaign. Biden has said publicly and privately that he is not interested in serving in the next administration.
The people familiar with Clinton and Biden's plans both insisted on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal planning
—Julie Pace in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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3 p.m.
Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump is trying to keep women, young people and minorities from voting in the November election.
Campaigning Friday in Iowa, Clinton says Trump's "scorched earth" strategy is the "last refuge of a bankrupt candidate."
Clinton has led Trump consistently for weeks and her campaign is worried that her supporters may get complacent and not vote. The Democrat warned the crowd in Iowa that "anything can happen" in the election's closing days.
Clinton made no mention of the FBI saying it will investigate whether there is classified information in newly discovered emails related to its probe of her private email server.
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2:45 p.m.
Mike Pence is applauding the FBI's decision to investigate new emails linked to Hillary Clinton's private email server.
The Republican vice presidential candidate told a rally at a building materials manufacturer in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, that he and Donald Trump "commend the FBI for having the courage to reopen the case."
He also called on the FBI "to immediately release all the emails pertinent to the investigation" adding, "The American people have a right to know."
Chants of "Lock her up!" came even before Pence referenced the FBI investigation. When he mentioned it being reopened, that drew a roar from the crowd.
The FBI closed the criminal investigation into Clinton's use of the email server in July. But it's now investigating whether newly found emails contained classified information
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2:25 a.m.
Hillary Clinton isn't saying anything yet about the FBI decision to investigate new emails linked to her private email server.
Clinton ignored shouted questions from reporters about the FBI investigation as she walked off her plane Friday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
She smiled and waved to reporters gathered on the tarmac, but made no comments.
Clinton spent about 25 minutes on the plane after it landed before she emerged. Following Clinton off the plane was famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. She was shooting photos of the candidate for at least part of the time reporters were waiting for the candidate.
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2:05 p.m.
Tim Kaine isn't weighing in yet on news that the FBI is investigating new emails linked to Hillary Clinton's private email server.
The Democratic vice presidential nominee says he's "got to read a little more." Kaine was responding to a reporter's question while stopping by an early voting site in Tallahassee.
The FBI closed the criminal investigation into Clinton's use of the email server in July. It is now investigating whether newly found emails contained classified information.
It's not clear yet where the new emails came from.
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2 p.m.
Donald Trump says the political system "might not be as rigged as I thought" now that the FBI has decided to investigate new emails found in the probe of Hillary Clinton's private server.
At a rally Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump praised the FBI, saying "I think they are going to right the ship, folks."
That's a new tune for Trump, who has repeatedly complained that the Washington establishment has rigged the political system against him.
Trump added that he was "very proud" of the FBI, an about-face after weeks of being critical of the bureau's decision not to recommend charges against Clinton.
The Republican nominee, who began his remarks discussing the FBI decision, then joked that the rest of the speech was "so boring"
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1:45 p.m.
Donald Trump is praising the FBI's decision to investigate new emails found in the probe of Hillary Clinton's private server.
The Republican nominee said Friday that "perhaps finally justice will be served." He was addressing a roaring crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire shortly after news broke of the FBI decision.
Trump said that "Clinton's corruption is on a scale we have never seen before" and said that "we must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office."
Trump said he had "great respect" for the FBI's decision. He had previously been very critical of the FBI and Department of Justice for the earlier decision not to bring charges against the Democratic nominee.
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1:30 p.m.
The FBI informed Congress Friday it is investigating whether new emails that have emerged in its probe of Hillary Clinton's private server may contain classified information. The FBI said in July its investigation was finished.
The disclosure raises the possibility of the FBI reopening the criminal investigation involving the Democratic presidential nominee just days before the election, although it is not clear if that will happen.
Clinton's campaign didn't immediately respond to request for comment.
In a letter sent to congressional leaders, FBI Director James Comey says that new emails have come to light recently that have prompted investigators to take another look at the sensitive government information that flowed through the private email sever Clinton used while serving as secretary of state.
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1:15 p.m.
President Barack Obama will spend most of next week, the final week of the presidential campaign, rallying voters in battleground states for fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Clinton's campaign says Obama will return to Ohio on Tuesday and to North Carolina on Wednesday. On Thursday, he heads back to Florida to headline a pair of Clinton rallies.
The race between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump is close in all three states.
Obama will urge voters in all three states to take advantage of the opportunity they have to cast their ballots before the Nov. 8 election.
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12:55 p.m.
Hillary Clinton's campaign says the Democratic presidential candidate will campaign in Arizona on Wednesday.
Communications director Jen Palmieri says Clinton will urge voters in the traditionally Republican state to take advantage of early voting. She'll also make stops in Ohio, Florida and North Carolina next week.
Only one Democratic presidential candidate has won the state since 1948. But controversies surrounding Trump's campaign have created opportunities for Democrats in Republican-leaning states, especially those like Arizona that have large minority populations.
Polling now shows a tight contest in the state, with Clinton and Trump in a virtual tie. Her aides are also eager to help Democrats win a competitive senate race.
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12:20 p.m.
Donald Trump has wired an additional $10 million to his campaign after the release of new financial reports that show rival Hillary Clinton with far more cash on hand.
That's according to Trump campaign spokeswoman Jessica Ditto. She said the contribution was made Friday morning.
The Republican presidential nominee has repeatedly promised that he would spend at least $100 million of his own money. Yet the latest campaign filings showed him $44 million short of that promise. That figure did not include the latest $10 million contribution.
Campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, told Fox News on Friday that Trump will continue to make investments into his campaign.
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11:25 a.m.
Hillary Clinton is airing ads in Wisconsin for the first time in the general election campaign.
Clinton's Wisconsin campaign director Jake Hajdu said Friday that the ads will begin airing in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay on Monday.
On Tuesday, Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine will campaign in the state, his first appearance in Wisconsin since August. Clinton has yet to make a general election campaign stop.
Polls have consistently shown Clinton with a lead over Donald Trump in the state.
Hajdu said in a statement that the ads were also designed to help other Democrats on the ballot, including former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. He's in a rematch against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
The ad buy was at least $100,000. Clinton's campaign did not release the exact amount.
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11:15 a.m.
Mike Pence is getting back in the air on a new plane the morning after his campaign plane slid off the runway at New York's LaGaurdia Airport.
The Republican vice presidential candidate, his staff, U.S. Secret Service agents and reporters are flying from Newark, New Jersey to Trenton, Pennsylvania. Pence will also campaign in North Carolina later Friday.
Pence's entourage is traveling in an Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800, operated by a private charter company. It doesn't feature the names of Pence and Donald Trump, nor the slogan "Make America Great Again."
Those were stenciled on Pence's regular 737-700 plane, which slid sideways off the runway and onto the grass after a rough landing in the rain Thursday.
No one was injured.
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10:25 a.m.
The Democratic National Committee wants a federal judge to allow it to see any emails between Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee about issues related to ballot security and voter suppression.
A federal judge in New Jersey on Thursday scheduled arguments for next week.
The DNC claims presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign is trying to intimidate and discourage minority voters and the RNC is supporting his efforts. It has cited Mike Pence's comments that the campaign and the RNC are working closely with state governments "to ensure ballot integrity."
The RNC has called the DNC's filing "completely meritless." Its response is due later Friday. The judge has said he will decide Monday which requests he'll allow.
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9:05 a.m.
President Barack Obama is telling voters in a new ad that a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to uphold his legacy.
Obama says in the ad that "all the progress we've made these last eight years is on the ballot." He's citing equality, justice, tolerance and respect for women as values he says Clinton would continue to promote.
It's a sharp contrast from two years ago, when Obama was unpopular and Democrats winced when he occasionally said his policies were on the ballot in the midterms.
Clinton's campaign says the ad is airing nationally, but mostly in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina. Obama holds a rally for Clinton in Florida on Friday evening.
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8:20 a.m.
Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence says there's "strong evidence" and "significant intelligence" indicating that Russia is behind the hacked emails of Hillary Clinton's campaign staff.
The comments are in contrast to assertions by his running mate, Donald Trump, who claims the U.S. has "no idea" who is behind the email hacks. The U.S. intelligence community has blamed Moscow, stating that "based on the scope and sensitivity" of the hacking, "only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."
In an interview Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Pence said "there's certainly strong evidence (to) that effect."
He said if he and Trump are elected, they would "follow the facts." Pence added: "Certainly there's going to be very strong consequences if any state actor is involved."
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7:30 a.m.
Republican Mike Pence says he's grateful for the "quick action" of his pilot and first responders when his campaign plane slid off a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
No one was injured in the incident Thursday. Pence told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he felt the plane fishtail after a hard landing.
He said, "just for a few seconds, you could feel us bouncing off. And with mud splattered up on the windows, we figured we were off the runway."
Pence said first responders were "on the scene at LaGuardia before the aircraft even came to a halt."
The plane was coming to New York from Fort Dodge, Iowa.
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3:40 a.m.
Hillary Clinton has turned to popular first lady Michelle Obama to rally voters in North Carolina, part of the effort to deliver a knockout blow to Donald Trump.
For his part, the New York billionaire is denouncing both Hillary and Bill Clinton as creatures of a corrupt political system, who would use the Oval Office to enrich themselves at the expense of American families.
New fundraising reports show that Trump is facing a sizable deficit that could cripple his final efforts to win on Election Day.
Clinton entered the final stretch of the race with a resounding cash advantage over Trump. As of last week, her campaign and Democratic partners had $153 million in the bank, more than double what Trump's side had available.