Hillary Clinton slams FBI chief's email probe

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton escalated her campaign's forceful pushback of FBI Director James Comey, saying his letter disclosing further investigation of her emails was "unprecedented and deeply troubling".

Speaking at a campaign event in Daytona Beach on Saturday, Clinton said she is asking for Comey to quickly release the "full and complete facts" about the new probe of unspecified emails, NBC News reported.

Federal officials told NBC News the emails were found in the course of investigating former Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of long-time Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

Comey's move on Friday -- a week and a half before the November 8 election -- sparked a political firestorm.

"It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," Clinton said to huge cheers inside a small community center gymnasium.

"In fact, it's not just strange, it's unprecedented and it is deeply troubling."

Then, pivoting, Clinton slammed her opponent's response to the political bombshell.

"Now, of course, Donald Trump is already making up lies about this, and is doing his best to confuse, mislead and discourage the American people," she said, reading off a teleprompter that would otherwise be unusual at such a small canvass kickoff.

"I think it's time for Donald Trump to stop fear-mongering, stop disgracing himself, stop attacking our democracy. We can't let him get away with this."

Despite the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) review and "no matter what they throw at us in these last days," Clinton pledged not to get "distracted" or "knocked off course".

She asked her supporters to do the same.

--IANS

pgh/