President Obama Knocks FBI: 'We Don't Operate on Innuendo'

President Barack Obama called into question the decision by FBI Director James Comey to make a vague announcement last week that the agency is reviewing new evidence in its investigation into Hillary Clinton's email practices, warning the bureau that it should avoid operating on "leaks" and "innuendo."

In an interview with NowThis released Wednesday morning, Obama did not name Comey specifically, but he did vent his frustration over the FBI director's letter to Congress just a week and a half before Election Day that has fueled a media storm about the potential damage the new emails could do — a question that Comey could not answer because he does not know what the contents of the emails are.

"I do think that there is a norm that when there are investigations, we don't operate on innuendo and we don't operate on incomplete information and we don't operate on leaks," Obama said in the interview, which was taped Tuesday. "We operate based on concrete decisions that are made."

In the interview, Obama sought to paint the episode as a political issue in an election year — not a legal one.

"Obviously, it's become a political controversy," he said. "The fact of the matter is that Hillary Clinton, having been in the arena for 30 years, oftentimes gets knocked around and people say crazy stuff about her and when she makes a mistake, an honest mistake, it ends up getting blown up as if it's some crazy thing."

He added: "When this was investigated thoroughly last time the conclusion of the FBI, the conclusion of the Justice Department, the conclusion of repeated congressional investigations was she had made some mistakes but that there wasn't anything there that was prosecutable."

"I trust her. I know her," Obama continued. "And I wouldn't be supporting her if I didn't have absolute confidence in her integrity and making sure that young people have a better future."

Obama was firmer in his interview than the White House had been earlier this week.

"I'll neither defend nor criticize what Director Comey has decided to communicate to the public about this investigation," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in Monday's press briefing.

Earnest also said that Obama doesn't think Comey is trying to sway the presidential race.

"The president doesn't believe that Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election," he said. "The president doesn't believe that he's secretly strategizing to benefit one candidate or one political party."

However, Clinton raised the possibility that Comey was doing just that.

"I'm sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about and why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go. That's a good question," Clinton said at a rally on Monday. "I am sure they will reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the last year. There is no case here."

On Tuesday, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said that the FBI should release any information regarding investigations into Donald Trump's dealing in Russia out of "fairness."

“The FBI has been frustratingly noncommittal, and they don't say a thing when it comes to Donald Trump and investigations against him. Yet when it comes to Hillary Clinton, for some reason, they're more than happy to talk,” Mook said on CNN. “There's a lot out there on Donald Trump. Again, it was shocking to me yesterday that every time people asked questions about investigations pertaining to Donald Trump, they are tight-lipped and silent, quote unquote sticking with protocol. When it comes to Hillary Clinton, they don't.”

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons