Obama finally opens up on FBI probe into Hillary Clinton e-mails

United States President Barack Obama has finally opened up about the Clinton e-mail issue with Now This News, a mobile-only news app. In the interview he stated, "I've made a very deliberate effort to make sure that I don't look like I'm meddling in what are supposed to be independent processes for making these assessments."

FBI Director James Comey has started an investigation into the Clinton e-mails, which has been heavily criticised by many politicians in the US. Obama, who clearly doesn't seem to be happy with the 'leaks', added, "I do think that there is a norm that when there are investigations, we don't operate on innuendo, we don't operate on incomplete information, we don't operate on leaks."

Speaking about Hillary Clinton and the investigation to Now This News, Obama said, "When this was investigated thoroughly the last time, the conclusion of the FBI, the conclusion of the Justice Department, the conclusion of repeated congressional investigations was that she had made some mistakes. But there wasn't anything there that was prosecutable. You know, 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 gets blown up as if it's some crazy thing."

The issue of trust has been raked up with the Clinton e-mails and allegations but Obama tried to put it to rest by saying, "I trust her. I know her. I wouldn't be supporting her if I didn't have absolute confidence in her integrity."

It was in 2015 that the e-mail controversy came up when it was found that Clinton had used a private e-mail account for official business when she was the secretary of state between 2009 and 2013. The private server, which was used for the account, was in Bill and Hillary Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York.