FBI Director James Comey wanted nothing to do with the federal announcement on Oct. 7 that the Russian government was meddling in the presidential election because it was too close to Election Day, a former FBI official told CNBC on Monday.

The report is confusing to some government insiders considering Comey's surprise announcement last Friday that the FBI would review additional emails in the Hillary Clinton probe just 11 days ahead of the Nov. 8 election, a move that many called into question because of the timing of the announcement. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid on Sunday said Comey may have violated the Hatch Act by making the investigation public this late in the presidential race.

The FBI source told CNBC that Comey agreed that a foreign power was trying to undermine the election but that "if it is said, it shouldn't come from the FBI, which as you'll recall it did not."

"He believed it to be true, but was against putting it out before the election."

Comey's approach was different with the Clinton emails, which were found on the laptop of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin. The FBI director sent lawmakers a letter Friday stating the agency's renewal of the investigation and, did so without even seeing the content of the emails.

Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook, in response to the CNBC report, said Comey’s actions were "alarming and disturbing" and called on the FBI director to explain what the Clinton campaign perceives as a double standard.



"Director Comey ensured that the FBI would not be part of letting the American people know that the Kremlin was behind a direct effort to undermine our democracy," he said in a press call late Monday.



"These are not the hallmarks of a responsible investigation... The FBI had not even obtained access to review emails for any potential significance, and yet Director Comey insisted on revealing the agency’s discovering" to congressional leadership, creating a "firestorm" just days before the election."



The FBI was granted a warrant Sunday to review the documents.