Hillary Clinton calls on FBI to release 'the full and complete facts' over email probe

Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has responded to the news that the probe into her use of a private email server has been reopened by the FBI.

FBI director James Comey said in a letter to members of Congress on 28 October that FBI had learned of the existence of emails that appeared to be pertinent to the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server, and would be reopening the probe.

Speaking at a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa, Clinton said in comments carried by The Hill: "We are 11 days out from perhaps the most important national election of our lifetimes.

"Voting is already underway in our country, so the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately."

Clinton also confirmed to the media she had not been contacted by the bureau in advance of the letter being sent out to members of Congress, and had not heard from them since.

"So we don't know the facts, which is why we are calling on the FBI to release all the information that it has," she explained.

"Even Director Comey noted that this new information may not be significant, so let's get it out."

It was the first comment Clinton has made on the topic since the announcement the email probe has been re-opened, following Comey's letter to members of Congress, in which he wrote: "In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.

"I am writing to inform you that the investigative team briefed me on this yesterday, and I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation."

He added: "Although the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work, I believe it is important to update your Committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony."

Clinton's rival Donald Trump issued a comment on the subject earlier in the day, with his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway describing the relaunch of the probe as a great day for the Trump campaign.

The GOP nominee said: "I need to open with a very critical breaking news announcement. The FBI has just sent a letter to Congress informing them that they have discovered new emails pertaining to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's investigation, and they are reopening the case into her criminal and illegal conduct that threatens the security of the United States of America.

"Hillary Clinton's corruption is on a scale we have never seen before. We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.

"I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the DOJ are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made. This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understand. It is everybody's hope that it is about to be corrected."