Top Democrat: The FBI helped Trump with its email announcement

A top Democrat questioned the FBI's announcement on Friday that it was reviewing new emails "pertinent" to the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, contending it "played right into the political campaign of Donald Trump."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she was "shocked" to read the short letter FBI Director James Comey wrote to congressional leaders to notify members that the agency was examining new emails.

"This is particularly troubling since so many questions are unanswered," Feinstein said in a statement. "It's unclear whether these emails have already been reviewed or if Secretary Clinton sent or received them. In fact, we don't even know if the FBI has these emails in its possession."

Feinstein continued: "Without knowing how many emails are involved, who wrote them, when they were written or their subject matter, it's impossible to make any informed judgment on this development."

The Democratic senator noted Trump was "already using the letter for political purposes" with just under two weeks remaining until the election.

"Director Comey admits 'the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant.' He cannot predict how long the investigation will take. And we don't know if the FBI has these emails in hand," she said.

Feinstein concluded: "It's too bad Director Comey didn't take those gaping holes into consideration when he decided to send this letter. The FBI has a history of extreme caution near Election Day so as not to influence the results. Today's break from that tradition is appalling."