title:  Harry Reid TORCHES FBI Director Comey: ‘I Believed You To Be Principled. I Now See I Was Wrong’
text: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wrote a letter to James Comey on Sunday where he lambasted the FBI director for releasing information relating to investigating a presidential candidate just 11 days before an election. Comey has said he was obligated to tell Congress that he d found more emails, but the law may say otherwise.The Hatch Act, which prevents ICE from endorsing Donald Trump despite his repeated claims, also bars government officials from using their positions to influence the outcome of an election. Comey s, ahem, poorly timed revelation could, in fact, be seen as using his position as director of the FBI to influence this election. Reid said, point blank: I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act. Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law. New @SenatorReid letter to James Comey re: Hatch Act:  Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law.  pic.twitter.com/MplVLQxgdi  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 30, 2016Now, Comey could always reiterate that he was only doing what he promised Congress he would do. However, given that he s a Republican, he could be up to any number of things. It could be as innocent as that. Or perhaps he thinks he can restore some of his standing among his party, which took a hit after he said he wasn t filing charges against Hillary.He could also be responding to all the squeaky wheels in Congress who are bitching up one side and down the other that Hillary is guilty, is a threat to national security and is therefore unqualified to be President; and screaming and crying about Comey not doing his job.But it s the last part of Reid s letter that will really hit Comey where it hurts. Congressional Republicans tried to filibuster his nomination away, and Reid stood up for him. Reid said: Please keep in mind that I have been a supporter of yours in the past. When Republicans filibustered your nomination and delayed your confirmation longer than any previous nominee to your position, I led the fight to get you confirmed because I believed you to be a principled public servant.With deepest regret, I now see that I was wrong. The last line of @senatorreid s letter to James Comey is amazing. ? pic.twitter.com/pdzEKZZCye  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 30, 2016Ouch. Just ouch. Comey has really done a number on himself with this.Image of Harry Reid by Alex Wong, image of James Comey by Chip Somodevilla. Images merged by Rika Christensen