Washington (CNN) Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on Sunday that FBI Director James Comey may have violated the Hatch Act, barring political activity by federal employees, through a late election season letter to Congress about the scope of the bureau's probe of Hillary Clinton's private email service as secretary of state.

Comey's letter on Friday to congressional committee chairs said the FBI is reviewing newly discovered emails that might be linked to Clinton's private server . The new emails were found several weeks ago, law enforcement officials told CNN Sunday, but the FBI did not disclose them until Friday. The timing raises questions about why the information was released just days before the election.

"I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act," Reid said in his letter to Comey. "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law."

There has been no immediate response from the FBI.

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