Blame Comey’s moral vanity for this newest mess

Most people didn’t think it was possible, but FBI director James Comey — as is now known by everyone who hasn’t been locked down in a Zen monastery for the past few days — has just increased the craziness of this already loony and deeply depressing presidential election campaign, writes Suzanne Garment    

He accomplished this feat with his letter to Congress announcing that FBI personnel are going to review emails that they found while investigating criminal allegations against former Representative Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of key Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey said the emails may be relevant to Clinton’s own email scandal, though the FBI does not yet know their contents.

Comey acted against the practice that the Justice Department, of which the FBI is a part, should not interfere with the democratic process by releasing information that might tip the outcome of the vote within 60 days of the election. However, anyone who finds Comey’s behaviour puzzling or self-contradictory hasn’t followed the career of this very careful bureaucrat.