FBI Director James Comey went against Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s advice on Friday when he sent a letter to Congress announcing that he is reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server after new evidence was discovered, according to the New Yorker.
“Coming less than two weeks before the Presidential election, Comey’s decision to make public new evidence that may raise additional legal questions about Clinton was contrary to the views of the Attorney General, according to a well-informed Administration official,” the New Yorker reports on Saturday.
“Lynch expressed her preference that Comey follow the department’s longstanding practice of not commenting on ongoing investigations, and not taking any action that could influence the outcome of an election, but he said that he felt compelled to do otherwise.”
The FBI director is an employee under the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, who notes that the FBI director would be subject to DOJ policies.
Mayer reports that Lynch asked Comey to follow the policies, but Comey said he had promised to inform Congress of further developments in Clinton’s email investigation.
“He also felt that the impending election created a compelling need to inform the public, despite the tradition of acting with added discretion around elections,” Mayer notes, citing an administration official.