Hillary Clinton emails: Candidate urges FBI to release 'full and complete facts immediately'

Ms Clinton delivers her statement during a news briefing in Des Moines

Jewel Samad/Getty

Hillary Clinton broke her silence after the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced its reopening of a probe into her use of email while serving as Secretary of State – stoking the flames of the ongoing scandal that has plagued her campaign.

The Democratic presidential candidate made her statement following a day of speculation caused by FBI director's letter to congression Republicans. Mr Comey revealed that investigators discovered emails pertinent to the prior probe into Ms Clinton's private email servers – for which the FBI found evidence of no criminal wrongdoing in July.

The former Secretary of State said it is "imperative" that investigators release all information about the new emails, following Mr Comey's Friday announcement.

"We are 11 days out from perhaps the most important national election of our lifetimes. Voting is already underway in our country," she said. "So, the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately."

She emphasised that Mr Comey did not know the significance of the particular emails referenced in his letter, and expressed her confidence that the decision to not pursue criminal charges in July would remain unchanged.

"Therefore, it's imperative that the Bureau explain this issue in question – whatever it is – without any delay."

FBI officials found the emails while investigating electronic devices that belonged to longtime aide Huma Abedin and her now-estranged husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner – who is the focus of an investigation for allegedly sending sexts to a minor.

When questioned about the investigation into Mr Weiner's case, Ms Clinton repeated her urge for the FBI to release more information.

"We've heard these rumours. We don't know what to believe,” she said. "That is why it is incumbent on the FBI to tell us what they are talking about. Because right now your guess is as good mine, and I don't think that is good enough."

In his Friday statement, Mr Comey said: “In connection with an unrelated case the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent, and I am writing to inform you that the investigative team briefed me on this yesterday and I agreed the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation.”

He added: "The FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work."

Republican nominee Donald Trump quickly seized the opportunity to use this persistent scandal to his advantage.

While speaking at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Mr Trump said the news is "bigger than Watergate" – the scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation.

"Hillary Clinton’s corruption is on a scale we have never seen before,” Mr Trump said. “We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.

“I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the DOJ are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made."

He continued: "This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understand. It is everybody’s hope that it is about to be corrected."

In July, Mr Comey said he would not seek prosecution against Ms Clinton after reading through more than 30,000 emails.

"Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," he said. "In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts."