The FBI is investigating whether emails uncovered during the sexting investigation of disgraced former US congressman Anthony Weiner have links to Hillary Clinton’s probe.

With just days to go before the November 8 election, FBI director James Comey said in a letter to several congressional Republicans that the agency had learned of the existence of emails that appeared to be pertinent to its investigation.

Mr Comey did not provide details about the emails, but a US official said the emails emerged through the FBI’s separate sexting probe of former US representative Mr Weiner, who is separated from Mrs Clinton’s confidant Huma Abedin.

Weiner and wife Huma Abedin have split over the long-running scandal. Photo: Getty

Ms Abedin served as deputy chief of staff at the State Department and is still a key player in Mrs Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Ms Abedin told federal investigators in April she used several email accounts for her work, including a Yahoo email, according to a summary of the interview released by the FBI in September.

She said it was difficult to print from the State Department’s email system so she routinely forwarded documents to her private accounts when she needed to print them out.

Ms Abedin announced her separation from Mr Weiner in August after a sex scandal similar to an earlier incident that led him to resign from the US Congress.

Mrs Clinton, who earlier remained silent on the issue, has called on the FBI to release all new information in its probe, saying she does not think the agency will change its July conclusion not to prosecute her.

“The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately. The director himself has said he doesn’t know whether the emails referenced in his letter are significant or not,” she said.

“I’m confident whatever they are will not change the conclusion reached in July.”

Meanwhile, Republican Donald Trump’s campaign has reacted with glee to the renewed investigation (Watch video below).

Less than two weeks to go until election day

The announcement was an unexpected development less than two weeks before the US presidential election, where Mrs Clinton is the Democratic Party’s candidate and the front-runner in opinion polls.

Mrs Clinton’s email use has been one of the biggest vulnerabilities in her campaign for the White House. Even if she wins, the Republicans have vowed the issue will follow her continuing investigations.

The FBI spent about a year investigating Mrs Clinton’s use of an unauthorised private email server for her work as US secretary of state between 2009 and 2013 after it emerged that there were classified government secrets in some of her emails.

The Government forbids transmitting classified information outside secure channels.

We must not let #CrookedHillary take her CRIMINAL SCHEME into the Oval Office. #DrainTheSwamp pic.twitter.com/GtPkj4xIz6

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2016

John Podesta, the chairman of Mrs Clinton’s campaign said the campaign was “confident” the FBI would again recommend against pressing charges.

He labelled the move as “a desperate attempt” by “Donald Trump and his Republican allies” to “harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign”.

“FBI Director Comey should immediately provide the American public more information than is contained in the letter he sent to eight Republican committee chairmen,” the statement read.

“It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election.”

The White House said it was not given any prior notice on the FBI’s announcement to investigate additional emails relating to Mrs Clinton’s use of a private email server.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said news of the FBI probe has not affected Barack Obama’s support for Mrs Clinton.

Renewed calls to stop giving Clinton classified briefings

In July, Mr Comey said there was evidence that Mrs Clinton and her staff may have broken laws, but that no reasonable prosecutor would bring charges.

Following the announcement, leading Republican Paul Ryan renewed his call for US intelligence officials to stop giving Mrs Clinton classified briefings typically given to presidential candidates.

BREAKING NEWS → The FBI is reopening its investigation into Secretary Hillary Clinton.

My full statement ⇩ pic.twitter.com/LHfyg46dWk

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) October 28, 2016

“This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators,” Mr Ryan said in a statement referring to the former secretary of state.

“I renew my call for the Director of National Intelligence to suspend all classified briefings for secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved.”

Mrs Clinton’s campaign has announced plans to hold a rally in Arizona next Wednesday, a traditionally red state put in play by Mr Trump’s deep unpopularity among minority voters, Mormons and business leaders.

– ABC