HOWARD KURTZ (HOST): The Washington Post reported this week on the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email, saying that 147 FBI agents are involved in the case. The paper later retracted that account, quoting sources saying the actual number is fewer than 50. Still an eye-popping figure for a controversy that the former secretary of state has long insisted has been hyped by media and her Republican critics. We're back now with the panel, and Kirsten Powers, 50 FBI agents seems like a lot, is there too much media speculation about how this email probe could end, will there be an indictment as opposed to, oh I don't know, waiting for the outcome of the probe?
KIRSTEN POWERS: Yeah, I mean, it would be nice to wait, but at the same time, I think it is newsworthy that this investigation is going on. And it sort of looms over the presidential race for people who believe that she could get indicted. That would obviously really change the dynamics of the race. So, it seems like a news story and there should be a way to talk about it but that doesn't reach any conclusions. Because we don't really know what the conclusion is going to be.
KURTZ: Right. Because it is a criminal investigation. Now, many pundits, Amy Holmes, say that the whole process is rigged, the Obama administration is never going to bring an indictment against the Democratic presidential front-runner, as if the FBI is incapable of doing its job. Isn't that sheer speculation at this point?
AMY HOLMES: Well of course it's speculation. And I think it is also trying to lower expectations for conservatives, you know, not to get too far out in front. But has there not been enough -- I think there hasn't been enough reporting on Hillary Clinton, the email scandal. You called it criminal investigation, she calls it a security review. And even Bernie Sanders, her, you know, primary rival, after defending her, now says, you know what? This is really worth looking into. You have General Michael Flynn, the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama saying that anybody who is under this cloud of suspicion has no right to be running for president of the United States.
KURTZ: You know, there used to be an independent counsel law for situations like this. But both Democrats and Republicans let it expire because both sides had felt burned by past special prosecutors.
