This Open Letter To James Comey Is Powerful

Less than two weeks before the presidential election, the FBI announced a new chapter in the saga of Hillary Clinton's email scandal: Emails discovered on former Congressman Anthony Weiner's personal computer during an investigation into his alleged sexting scandal would be analyzed for their pertinence to Clinton's own case. As the two big-name investigations collide, however, Weiner's alleged victim wrote an open letter to FBI Director James Comey, reminding him and the public what's really important about her case.

Weiner hasn't denied the allegations and only said he was perhaps the subject of a hoax, but also said that he has "repeatedly demonstrated terrible judgment about the people I have communicated with online and the things I have sent."

BuzzFeed News first published the letter on Wednesday, just after publishing an in-depth interview with her. It's clear from both stories that she's not happy with Comey, nor with the newly reignited media frenzy surrounding her case. The alleged victim was 15 years old when she reportedly received lewd messages from Weiner, who has since resigned because of the sexting allegations against him. She's now 16, and she's speaking out in a big way.

If you haven't been following the story, you're probably wondering how Weiner's case is connected to Clinton's. Weiner is married to — but legally separated from — Huma Abedin, a top Clinton aide. According to CNN, Abedin has taken a step back from the campaign trail at what seems to be a particularly crucial time, just days from the election.

But it's not the Clinton campaign that has received the biggest blow after Comey's announcement last week that the FBI would consider the newly discovered emails from Weiner's computer. According to Weiner's alleged victim, it has thrown her and her family into the middle of a case they never wanted to be a part of.

"I now add you to the list of people who have victimized me," the teenage girl wrote. "I told my story originally to protect other young girls that might be a victim of online predators." Throughout her letter, she criticizes Comey for contributing to the media attention that she and her family are getting. By keeping his announcement to the public vague, she writes, Comey inherently encouraged the media to seek out her story.

Anthony Weiner is the abuser. Your letter helped that abuse to continue. How can I rebuild my life when you have made finding out my "story" the goal of every reporter? When I meet with my therapist next time, she will already know what we are going to talk about before I get there by reading Friday, October 28th, 2016's New York Times article.

Although she signs her letter as a "girl who lost her faith in America," Weiner's alleged victim closes her note with a somewhat positive message. "I may have been Weiner's victim, but the real story here is that I am a survivor," she writes. "I am strong, intelligent, and certain that I will come out from under this nightmare, but it will not be as a result of your doing your job to protect me."

It's that part of the message that should serve as an important reminder. The individuals caught up in the FBI's investigations, whether into Clinton's case or Weiner's, aren't just politicians and public figures. In this case, it's a young girl who just wants to be left alone.