Thread by @DuckOffMedia

I think I just figured out the real reason @Comey made the unprecedented step of announcing the completion of the Clinton email investigation in July 2016.. and why he doubted then AG Loretta Lynch.

So this May 24, 2017 @washingtonpost article.. washingtonpost.com/world/national…

Article written by @DevlinBarrett and @karoun mention a Russian document citing a supposed email Privately assuring someone in the Clinton campaign that the investigation “wouldn’t push too deep”. In @ABC article @mkeneally states...

“The information about Lynch, which Comey stressed he does not believe to be true, remains classified to this day”. I believe that information is the Russian document referenced in the WaPo article abcnews.go.com/Politics/comey…

As would have been the normal course of business, the not recused AG Loretta Lynch would have announced the completion of the Clinton server investigation. In July 2016, in an effort to avoid any perception of bias - Comey made the unprecedented move of announcing himself.

Comey also did not want to raise the issue with Lynch because they had obtained the classified Russian doc referencing a Lynch promise to Clinton campaign to take it easy. The doc has been long viewed by the FBI as “unreliable and possibly a fake”..

Comey had been skeptical of Lynch in early 2016, which is when the Russian document was originally obtained by the FBI. By July 2016, he was well aware of Russian interference and hacks. He likely knew doc was a fake, but feared Russia would leak the doc and sew doubt in the..

..Handling of the entire investigation. Comey had already distanced himself from Lynch since he was initially skeptical when FBI first received the doc - and later did not engage with Lynch out of fear *if* doc leaked he would be perceived as acting at her direction.

In addition to the potentially fake document, Lynch did ask Comey to refer to the Clinton investigation as a “matter” and not an “investigation”. This caused Comey concern in general and coupled with the document believed to be fake - he was skeptical of Lynch.

Since Comey knew about the document, and knew that Lynch would eventually announce the completion of the investigation (as she would as the acting AG) - he took the unprecedented step in July 2016 of making the announcement - fearing the email described in the Russian doc would..

..leak. The document is believed to be misleading Russian intelligence referring to an email written by Debbie Wasserman Schultz describes a situation in which Lynch supposedly was in contact with Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria. There was no way to know if this email..

..actually existed - because the FBI was aware that Russia had hacked the DNC and Clinton emails. The FBI warned the DNC about hacking attempts in late March 2016. By late April 2016, authorities were aware of the serious breach.

Since Comey *could not* verify that these emails *did not* exist - and because the Russian doc referencing the email was classified -he formally announced the closing of the investigation -fearing a potential leak of the document by malicious actors. As a result, the reopening..

..of the investigation in late October was seen by Comey as necessary in order 2 be *fair* since he unprecedentedly announced the closing in July. He wanted the public 2 be aware that the investigation was reopened -so the public would not think the July announcement was *unfair*

We still don’t know why Comey reopened the investigation, but it looks like this is why he announced the closing in July 2016. That matter is ongoing.

Link to @AP article by @razhael for dates on hack google.com/amp/s/www.apne…