Weiner Inquiry Prompted FBI to Revisit Clinton Emails: Feds

What to Know

In July, FBI Director James Comey said "no charges are appropriate in" the Hillary Clinton email case

The development of new emails, unearthed in the course of a separate investigation, comes less than two weeks before the election

Major stock markets immediately reversed to trade lower on the news

BREAKING UPDATE: An investigation into former U.S. Rep. and New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner led to new information that prompted the FBI to revisit its probe into Hillary Clinton's private server, law enforcement sources tell NBC News' Pete Williams.

Weiner is the estranged husband of top Clinton advisor Huma Abedin.

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The FBI is revisiting its investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server after a separate probe unearthed additional emails that may be relevant to the case.

“In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation," FBI Director James Comey wrote in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.

He added, "I agreed that 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."

FBI Director Comey, in letter to members of Congress, says FBI is investigating additional emails in Clinton private server case http://pic.twitter.com/Ue0qlhqT5w
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 28, 2016

Asked about the development, a top Clinton campaign spokesperson told NBC News, "No idea." Clinton herself made no comments about the case as she walked off her plane in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, despite shouts from reporters asking about the developments.

Her running mate, former Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he's "got to read a little more" when asked about the inquiry by a reporter in Tallahassee, Florida.

The State Department said it learned the news from media reports. Deputy spokesman Mark Toner said the department does not known if the emails in question stem from Clinton's time as Secretary of State, and pledged continued cooperation with the FBI if needed "as we have done in the past."

Major stock markets immediately reversed to trade lower on the news; investors had been broadly pricing in a Clinton victory on Nov. 8. The Mexican peso - which has become an investing proxy for the U.S. election - weakened sharply in a nod to the increased potential for a Trump win.

Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said the FBI's decision to reopen the case reinforces what his committee has been saying for months.

"The more we learn about Secretary Clinton’s use of a private email server, the clearer it becomes that she and her associates committed wrongdoing and jeopardized national security," Goodlatte said.

The development in the case comes less than two weeks before the election and more than three months after Comey announced the investigation closed, saying there was evidence Clinton had been "extremely careless" in her handling of highly classified material but had not committed a criminal offense.

FBI Chief: 'No Reasonable Prosecutor' Would Charge ClintonFBI Director James Comey says an investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers determined the former secretary of state was careless with classified information, but said no reasonable prosecutor would bring criminal charges in the case. As such, he said his agency would not recommend to the Department of Justice that criminal charges be brought. (Published Tuesday, July 5, 2016)

In July, Comey said investigators who pored over tens of thousands of emails found no proof that Clinton or her aides intended to break laws governing the handling of classified information. But the FBI director's blistering televised statement excoriated her handling of national secrets and contradicted her past explanations about her emails.

No Charges for Hillary Clinton, Despite Biting CriticismThe FBI lifted a major legal threat to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign Tuesday, recommending no criminal charges for her handling of highly classified material in a private email account. But Director James Comey's scathing criticism of her "extremely careless" behavior revitalized Republican attacks and guaranteed the issue will continue to dog her. Andrew Siff reports. (Published Tuesday, July 5, 2016)

At a rally in New Hampshire Friday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said investigators committed a "grave miscarriage of justice" by clearing Clinton of criminal wrongdoing over the summer. He added that the political system "might not be as rigged as I thought" before joking that the rest of his speech was going to be "so boring."

"I have great respect that the FBI now has the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made," Trump said. "Perhaps, finally, justice will be done."

In a tweet, his running mate Mike Pence demanded the FBI release "all emails pertinent to their investigation."

"Americans have the right to know before Election Day," the Indiana governor tweeted.

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