Local members of Congress react to news on Clinton emails

October isn’t over yet, nor are its surprises.

News that the FBI was investigating a new batch of Hillary Clinton’s emails – these reportedly detected on disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner’s electronic devices – threw the state’s congressional delegation into a flurry.

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Urbana was interviewed on TV and the Sean Hannity show on WHIO as the news was breaking.

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“We don’t know what it is, but it sure seems like it must be something pretty darned important,” Jordan said.

He said the fact that the FBI was opening an investigation 11 days before the election was telling. “I think the point right now is to let the investigation play out.”

He said he hoped the FBI disclosed as much information as it could “so the American public can be fully informed.”

“Something must be there or they wouldn’t make this announcement this close to an election,” he said.

But Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he expects the FBI will find no reason to pursue charges.

“Secretary Clinton acknowledged long ago that she made a mistake using a private email server and would not do it again,” he said. “This election is about which candidate will make life better for working families in Ohio. There’s no question Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to run for President in my lifetime, while Donald Trump is simply not fit to be our commander-in-chief.”

His Republican colleague, Sen. Rob Portman, called the news “deeply troubling.”

"It raises additional concerns about Secretary Clinton's conduct and mishandling of classified information," he said. "This new investigation must be thorough and prompt. The American people deserve answers."

Ohio Republicans called the news at best troubling and at worst disqualifying for Clinton’s presidential bid.

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he’s reviewed the previously classified emails on Clinton’s server. “I have repeatedly stated that I believe her actions as secretary of state were not in accordance with the law,” he said.

“After confidential material was compromised by Generals Cartwright and Petraeus, both of them faced prosecution,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy. “After Hillary Clinton did the same thing during her tenure as Secretary of State, she faced no prosecution. Especially in light of new evidence, I strongly urge the FBI to investigate this matter with urgency and in a manner that removes any doubt from the American public that this was a fair investigation.”

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, said the news makes Clinton a “risk” for voters.

“I hope people will consider the risk in electing someone like Hillary Clinton who once again has the dark cloud of an FBI investigation over her head. This could very well lead to a constitutional crisis were she to be elected.

Columbus-area Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Dayton native, urged caution.

“With so much information and many facts unclear, I urge caution before rushing to judgment,” Beatty said. “FBI Director Comey wanting to review new discovery isn’t abnormal, and I am confident we will move beyond this and back to the important work at hand.”

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