Rock-paper-scissors turned into cloth-shredder-hammer

Editor’s Note: This article was originally submitted on Nov. 7, 2016.

On Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, just two days before Election Day, the FBI’s investigation saga against Hillary Clinton’s multiple unsecured work-related emails came to an end. Or so it seems. The FBI director, James Comey, sent a brief letter to the U.S. Congress, informing it that his agency has “not changed our conclusions” from July 5, that Clinton should not face criminal charges.

This new letter follows the Oct. 28 letter.

In the “October surprise” letter, Comey wrote that the investigation would focus on “unduplicated” 650,000 emails (different from Hillary’s 30,000 emails in July), which were found on the computer of Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Hillary aide Huma Abedin.

Comey’s November letter does not indicate whether all 650,000 emails were reviewed or whether they contained any incriminating elements. It is, indeed, amazing for one to see how sometimes the FBI needs a year to analyze 30,000 emails (from July 2015 to July 2016). While other times the FBI investigation advances faster than the speed of light, and the agents are able to analyze 650,000 emails in about a week or so (since Oct. 28 to Nov. 6).

It becomes obvious that this FBI back-and-forth investigation can be seen as a rock-paper-scissors game, where:

(a) Clinton’s rock (resistance to cooperate with the judicial authorities) beats the FBI’s scissors (investigation) on July 5;

(b) the FBI’s scissors (investigation) beats Clinton’s paper (money) on Oct. 28; and

(c) Clinton’s paper (money) beats the FBI’s rock (evidence) on Nov. 6.

And this stunning new FBI resolution comes at the end of a week full of other revelations, where we have found out, among others, that:

(1) The Democratic Party Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile leaked another presidential debate question to Hillary Clinton (I call this deception and abuse of power).

(2) The Clinton Foundation has confirmed it accepted a $1 million gift from Qatar while Hillary Clinton was U.S. Secretary of State (I call this treason).

(3) Marina Santos, Hillary’s maid in Washington, D.C., had access and printed up state secrets for her boss (I call this breach of national security).

So, it is also obvious that after Nov. 8, if the American people decide not to put up with this Clinton investigation farce, and elect Donald Trump as the President of the United States, the Clintons and their acolytes will attempt to replace the rock-paper-scissors game with a (bleach-imbibed) cloth-shredder-hammer version. And they have plenty of time to do it, about two and a half months (between the Nov. 8 elections and the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration).

Therefore, it becomes imperatively necessary for President-elect Donald Trump and the (still) Republican-dominated Congress to do their best in order to prevent this vicious criminal attempt, in the interest of our republic and the American people. (Tiberiu Dianu, Special to the Saipan Tribune)

Tiberiu Dianu is a scholar and author of several books and articles in law, politics, and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. This article was originally submitted on Nov. 7, 2016.