I think it was a discretionary move, and an unusual one at that. Normally, the FBI does not comment on pending investigations of public officers at all. This is doubly the case near an election, to avoid the appearance of favoritism and impropriety.
In 2016, rumor was that the (allegedly highly pro-Trump) Manhattan office of the FBI was going to announce that the email investigation had been reopened. It would have been for political reasons, but that seemed to have been part of the calculus.
Comey then decided to come out and make the statement himself, making the Manhattan office’s parallel move redundant. At the time, it was thought that he (a) believed that Clinton would win, anyway, and (b) thought the move would give him credentials for future office when the Republicans were back in power.
I think it was a discretionary move, and an unusual one at that. Normally, the FBI does not comment on pending investigations of public officers at all. This is doubly the case near an election, to avoid the appearance of favoritism and impropriety.
In 2016, rumor was that the (allegedly highly pro-Trump) Manhattan office of the FBI was going to announce that the email investigation had been reopened. It would have been for political reasons, but that seemed to have been part of the calculus.
Comey then decided to come out and make the statement himself, making the Manhattan office’s parallel move redundant. At the time, it was thought that he (a) believed that Clinton would win, anyway, and (b) thought the move would give him credentials for future office when the Republicans were back in power.
Thank you for clarification and putting things into context.