By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Retired Illinois State University politics and government professor Bob Bradley said Democrats – and even Republicans – who have criticized FBI director James Comey have good reason.

Bradley told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin Comey never should have announced the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails was reopening without yet getting a warrant.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Bradley on WJBC.

“Almost any prosecutor who is worth their salt would not have done that, because it runs the risk of violating fair trial, it runs the risk of tainting the jury pool,” Bradley said. “It does all kinds of things that would not be good for your case as a prosecutor.”

Bradley said the backlash could end up helping Hillary Clinton by motivating her supporters who might have thought her victory in the presidential race was already a foregone conclusion.

“That basically means you are reducing that complacency, that the Clinton forces might have had a week ago to say ‘Boy, you’ve got to get out and vote,” Bradley said.

Bradley predicts Clinton will end up defeating Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth will unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].