US ELECTIONS

Clinton team fears a leaky October

The Hillary Clinton campaign is ‘game-planning’ how to deal with different scenarios
The Hillary Clinton campaign is ‘game-planning’ how to deal with different scenarios
BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS

The Clinton campaign fears an “October surprise” in the form of a release of hacked emails, either by Russia or WikiLeaks, aimed at tilting the presidential election back towards Donald Trump.

“We’re bracing ourselves,” a senior Democratic official said. “The closer we get to November 8 [election day] the greater impact an unauthorised release could have. We know [Russian president Vladimir] Putin wants Trump in the White House.

“It’s hard to protect against something when you don’t know what it might be, but there are some very clever people in Hillary Clinton’s campaign [who are] game-planning how to deal with different scenarios.”

Details of the preparations came as the FBI director James Comey told Congress there was “no doubt that some bad actors have been