Washington (CNN) The FBI is in a political hole -- and can't seem to stop digging.

Hillary Clinton's supporters were already fuming after FBI Director James Comey revived the specter of her email scandal in the tense final days of the presidential election, a move that played right into Donald Trump's hands.

But their frustrations -- and suspicions -- intensified Tuesday when the FBI suddenly released redacted files about its 2001 probe into President Bill Clinton's pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich. In an election hinging on voter perceptions of character and trustworthiness, the move revived memories of yet another political fracas surrounding the Clinton family.

That leaves the FBI in an unprecedented position: very publicly at the center of a presidential race one week out from the election. The apolitical agency's actions over the past four days are leaving the FBI exposed to arguments from Democrats -- and some Republicans -- that it is improperly intervening in the fight between Clinton and Trump.

And it ensures that Comey, who was once a registered Republican and contributed to GOP nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney, will remain in the spotlight for the remainder of the campaign.

"It's another very puzzling development. We are in the final stages of an important presidential campaign," Hakeem Jeffries, a Democratic congressman from New York who supports Clinton, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "Because of the FBI's actions, we are talking about emails, Anthony Weiner and a 15-year-old pardon."

Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton voted in Chappaqua, New York, on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. Afterward, she and her husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, visited with locals outside the voting area. Hide Caption 1 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump casts his vote in New York on Election Day. Hide Caption 2 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton addresses a midnight rally at North Carolina State University in Raleigh early on November 8. Both Clinton and Trump barnstormed across battleground states in a frenetic, last-minute push for votes. Hide Caption 3 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets Lady Gaga backstage after the campaign event in Raleigh on November 8. The singer urged the crowd to make history and elect the first woman president. Hide Caption 4 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton held a rally in Philadelphia the night before Election Day. Hide Caption 5 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's rally in Philadelphia included appearances from President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Hide Caption 6 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign The Clintons share a moment backstage. Hide Caption 7 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's family -- as well as Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence -- join the candidate for a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday, November 7. Hide Caption 8 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump visited Raleigh on November 7. Hide Caption 9 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump makes an appeal to voters in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 7. Hide Caption 10 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump joins former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Scranton rally on November 7. Hide Caption 11 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton takes the stage during a rally at the University of Pittsburgh on November 7. Hide Caption 12 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's rally in Manchester was one of five stops the candidate made November 7, the last full day of campaigning. Hide Caption 13 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's image is reflected in a teleprompter as she greets supporters after a rally in Pittsburgh on November 7. Hide Caption 14 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump checks out a rubber mask of himself during a campaign rally in Sarasota, Florida, on November 7. Hide Caption 15 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's face is obscured by a teleprompter as he holds his campaign rally in Raleigh on November 7. Hide Caption 16 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign President Obama arrives to speak at a Clinton rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 7. Hide Caption 17 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Preparations continue November 7 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, where Clinton will hold an election night event. Hide Caption 18 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 6. Hide Caption 19 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters take photos in Minneapolis on November 6. Hide Caption 20 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump addresses supporters in Minneapolis on November 6. Hide Caption 21 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and NBA basketball player LeBron James wave to a crowd in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 22 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton supporters hold signs in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 23 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton boards her campaign plane in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 24 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A crowd lines up for a rally supporting Trump in Sioux City, Iowa, on November 6. Hide Caption 25 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton shakes hands with supporters during a rainstorm in Miami on Saturday, November 5. Hide Caption 26 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton supporters wait outside an early voting center in the predominantly Cuban-American neighborhood of West Miami, Florida, on November 5. Hide Caption 27 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive at an airport rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on November 5. Hide Caption 28 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign People climbed a wall to get a better view of Trump in Wilmington. Hide Caption 29 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump attends a rally in Denver on November 5. Hide Caption 30 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Singer Katy Perry shows off a coat reading "I'm With Madam President" during a Clinton event in Philadelphia on November 5. Hide Caption 31 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Police guard a men's room where a protester was being held after he disrupted a Trump rally in Reno, Nevada, on November 5. Hide Caption 32 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Police officers and Secret Service agents take a man away in handcuffs after the Reno disruption. Hide Caption 33 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Members of the Secret Service rush Trump off the stage in Reno. Hide Caption 34 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Children wait for the start of a Clinton rally in Detroit on Friday, November 4. Hide Caption 35 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Supporters listen to Clinton in Detroit on November 4. Hide Caption 36 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks at the rally in Detroit on November 4. Hide Caption 37 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton joins Beyonce and Jay Z on stage during a free concert in Cleveland on November 4. Hide Caption 38 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump rallies supporters in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on November 4. Hide Caption 39 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway waits backstage at a rally in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on November 4. Hide Caption 40 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Ground crews await Trump's arrival for a rally in Wilmington, Ohio, on November 4. Hide Caption 41 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, seen in a reflection, applauds as her former primary rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, campaigns for her in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, November 3. Hide Caption 42 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump holds a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on November 3. Hide Caption 43 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 3. Hide Caption 44 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A young girl attends a Clinton rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 2. Hide Caption 45 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump addresses supporters in Pensacola, Florida, on November 2. Hide Caption 46 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump gestures in Pensacola on November 2. Hide Caption 47 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign People attend a Clinton rally in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 48 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton smiles as she greets supporters in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 49 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton waves in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 50 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets customers at a barbershop in North Las Vegas on November 2. Hide Caption 51 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump appears at a rally in Orlando on November 2. Hide Caption 52 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A banner flies overhead at a Trump rally in Orlando on November 2. Hide Caption 53 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, right, and aide Huma Abedin stand aboard Clinton's campaign plane as they head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a campaign rally on Friday, October 28. News broke during the flight that the FBI was reviewing new emails related to Clinton's personal server, bringing an issue they had assumed was behind them back into the campaign. The emails being examined were part of an investigation into former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, Abedin's estranged husband, who is accused of sexting with a girl who was purportedly underage. On November 6, FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers that after reviewing the new emails, the agency stood by its opinion that Clinton should not face criminal charges. Hide Caption 54 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton addresses the media in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 28. She issued a statement about the latest FBI disclosure. "We are 11 days out from perhaps the most important national election of our lifetimes," she said. "Voting is already underway in our country. So the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately." Hide Caption 55 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks at her news conference on October 28. Hide Caption 56 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 57 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters attend a rally in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 58 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Lisbon, Maine, on October 28. Hide Caption 59 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 60 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump smiles at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on October 28. Hide Caption 61 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton attends a homecoming pep rally at North Carolina A&T State University on Thursday, October 27. Hide Caption 62 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign First lady Michelle Obama hugs Clinton at a rally in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on October 27. Hide Caption 63 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A Clinton supporter takes a selfie at a campaign rally in Winston-Salem on October 27. Hide Caption 64 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump gears up for a campaign rally at an airport in Sanford, Florida, on Tuesday, October 25. Hide Caption 65 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters cheer while waiting for the candidate's arrival in Sanford on October 25. Hide Caption 66 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton attends a rally in Coconut Creek, Florida, on October 25. Hide Caption 67 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A shadow of Clinton's campaign plane is seen as the candidate prepares to land in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday, October 24. Hide Caption 68 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, center, claps for US Sen. Elizabeth Warren at a rally in Manchester on October 24. Hide Caption 69 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets the crowd after the final presidential debate of the 2016 campaign. Hide Caption 70 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump with his family following the debate. Hide Caption 71 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and Trump at the end of the debate. Hide Caption 72 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and Trump battled on several issues during the debate. Hide Caption 73 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump greets supporters at a rally in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Tuesday, October 18. Hide Caption 74 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump holds a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday, October 17. Hide Caption 75 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke rails against the electoral system at the Trump rally in Green Bay. Clarke told the crowd, "It is pitchfork and torches time in America." Hide Caption 76 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks to supporters in Green Bay. Hide Caption 77 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton waves as she boards her campaign plane in Seattle on Friday, October 14. Hide Caption 78 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign The view from Clinton's campaign plane on October 14. Hide Caption 79 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton headlines a fundraiser in Seattle on October 14. Hide Caption 80 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's campaign staff takes questions from the media on her plane in Seattle on October 14. Hide Caption 81 of 81

He continued: "That doesn't make any sense and it undermines the integrity of the democratic process. The FBI and the director owe the American people an explanation as to what is going on."

No political motive

The FBI sought to make clear there was no political motive around the sudden appearance of the Rich documents, saying they were released in line with procedures relating to Freedom of Information Act filings.

"These materials became available for release and were posted automatically and electronically to the FBI's public reading room in accordance with the law and established procedures," the statement said.

But before the statement, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon questioned the timing of the release — nearly 16 years after Bill Clinton left the White House but only seven days before the election involving his wife.

"Absent a FOIA litigation deadline, this is odd. Will FBI be posting docs on Trump's housing discrimination in '70s?" Fallon tweeted.

Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America." Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you." Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president. Hide Caption 43 of 43

Comey, the most powerful FBI director since J. Edgar Hoover, has long been seen as someone who plays it by the book. But the recent controversy has moved the FBI deeper into the partisan crossfire where his legendary predecessor operated for half-a-century.

The new review of emails potentially tied to Clinton's private server won't likely be finished before Tuesday's election.

But it's not just the email issue that is infuriating Democrats.

The FBI's refusal to comment on several pending investigations into prominent members of Republican nominee Donald Trump's orbit is also causing waves.

Democrats want to know why Comey notified Congress about the new email situation but won't spill details of investigations into alleged Kremlin ties of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, and former foreign policy advisor Carter Page.

Legal and intelligence considerations may prevent Comey from revealing those details.

But that reality is unlikely to placate Democrats who are watching Clinton's lead over Trump ebb in national polls.

'This needs to stop'

"This needs to stop. Director Comey has called for transparency, but has now withdrawn from public view," Rep. Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. "The American people need to know why he decided to withhold information about Russian interference while reigniting email hysteria without any substantiation. He needs to clean up this mess."

The FBI has been conducting multiple investigations that include allegations of connections between Russia and the Trump campaign or people who support his candidacy, according to CNN sources. None so far have yielded proof of criminal connections between the Russian government and the Republican nominee or his campaign.

Former CIA acting director Michael Morell, a Clinton supporter, vigorously criticized Comey, his former colleague in the intelligence community, over his actions on the email situation.

"I think he was trying to protect his organization," Morell said in an interview with David Axelrod for his "The Axe Files" podcast. "But as (former Attorney General) Eric Holder wrote in The Washington Post over the weekend in response to Comey's actions, people make mistakes. And I think (Comey) made a series of terrible mistakes here."

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook also laid into Comey. On CNN's "New Day," he complained of a double standard operating for Clinton and Trump.

"We just want fairness," Mook said. Comey "thought it was perfectly fine for the FBI to send a letter to Capitol Hill about information they had never looked at and say, 'Hey, we have some information, Republican Chairmen.'"

But GOP Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, dismissed suggestions that Comey had parachuted into the final stage of a presidential race to play politics.

'Known for his integrity'

"When it comes to Jim Comey, I have known him for 20 years," McCaul told Blitzer. "He has always been known for his integrity, a straight shooter ... he is not a partisan guy, you have had Republicans mad at him and now Democrats."

And one prominent Democrat, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, warned the Clinton campaign's attacks on Comey could backfire.

"I wouldn't do that," Rendell said on 1210 WPHT Philadelphia radio. "Again, you know, I'm not running the campaign by any means, but I wouldn't do that."

Rendell, however, allowed that "the more that comes out about this, the stranger it is," he said. "Like the agents had this material or knew about the existence of the material at the beginning of October and didn't tell the director until the end of October. That makes no sense at all."

Amid the political turmoil, Comey came face-to-face with some of his critics Tuesday, including former attorneys general Holder and Michael Mukasey, at a memorial service for former prosecutor David Margolis at the Great Hall of the Justice Department.

No one mentioned the current storm swirling around the FBI.

But Comey, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and several other speakers noted the department's ideals of pursuing the rule of law no matter which political party is in power.