CNBC reported, citing sources, that Comey, a Republican whom President Obama nominated to lead the FBI in 2013, felt it was too close to the election for the FBI to be a part of any disclosure that Russia had been involved in efforts to affect the voting. The report said government insiders were "perplexed" over why Comey would have been concerned about the timing of a statement regarding Russia's meddling but not with the timing of his statement about the reopened Clinton probe.