Clinton campaign chair: ‘Forces within the FBI’ wanted her to lose

Former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta suggested Monday that “forces within the FBI” worked against the Democratic presidential nominee during the 2016 election.

“There are at least forces within the FBI that wanted her to lose,” Podesta said in a taped NewCo. Shift discussion with John Heilemann.

“I’m not sure they really understood the alternative, but they wanted her to lose. I think that’s one possibility,” he continued.

{mosads}Podesta cited the “bad judgment” of FBI Director James Comey but offered no new evidence to back up his claim. Instead, he cited the fact that 11 days before the election, Comey broke precedent when he notified Congress that the FBI was looking into emails possibly pertaining to its previous investigation into the private email server Clinton used while secretary of State.

“[He] ended up dropping this bombshell in the middle of the election against the advice of the Justice Department, against the long-term practice of Democratic and Republican administrations,” Podesta said.

The Clinton campaign has suggested that Comey’s decision led to the candidate’s electoral loss.

“If you look at the polling at that period time, that’s when the race began to tighten in that week,” Podesta said.

He also suggested that “pressure” on Comey could have moved him to release the letter.