WATCH: FBI Director Comey Explains Why He Announced Clinton Emails in October

‘It Makes Me Mildly Nauseous to Think That We Might’ve Had Some Impact on the Election’

Calling it “one of the world’s most painful decisions,” FBI Director James Comey says he believes he made “the right choice” when he notified Congress in October that the Bureau found Clinton emails on Anthony Weiner’s laptop. Comey told Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein that he told his agents in October he “can’t consider for a second” the implications of telling Congress of the new emails. He claimed he had to make the notification without regard to the election because taking into account what could happen in any case would destroy the mission of the FBI.

Comey says he was immediately stuck between two choices, speaking or concealing. He claimed that not notifying Congress in his mind was “concealment.” Therefore, he said, he had no choice but to inform Congress.

And while Comey said it makes him “mildly nauseous” to think the FBI had some impact on the results of the election, he would do it again. 

“Even in hindsight, and this has been one of the world’s most painful experiences, I would make the same decision.” 

Sen. Feinstein made clear Comey’s actions were predicated on assuming “there was something there” in Clinton’s emails, “and there wasn’t.”

Director Comey notified Congress by sending a letter to over a dozen the Chairs and Ranking Members in Congress. Chairman Jason Chaffetz was the first to leak the letter.

Senator Feinstein Wednesday told Director Comey he could have easily notified Congress in a classified setting, thereby not making information public – and not affecting the outcome of the election.

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