The timing of the latest Hillary Clinton email probe suggests there may be some significant information in the case, two Republican congressmen told CNBC on Friday.
With just 11 days until the election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent a letter to lawmakers on Friday stating it is investigating new emails related to Clinton.
The emails were discovered during an FBI investigation in which the devices of former Congressman Anthony Weiner and Clinton aide Huma Abedin were seized, NBC News confirmed. The New York Times first reported the news.
"I would imagine that they have some evidence that's relatively significant to go through the extraordinary step to write a letter to the leaders of all these committees," Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, said in an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell." DeSantis is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told "Power Lunch" he has taken issue with FBI Director James Comey's decision to not prosecute Clinton and the fact that five people got immunity agreements in the case. Because of that, he thinks the probe into the new emails sends a strong message.
"We don't know what it is but it sure seems like it must be something pretty darn important for that fact pattern to play out and for them to announce just a week and a half before an election that they are going to reexamine things and look at these new emails," said Jordan, who sits on the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees.
While he believes the investigation needs to play out, Jordan also thinks the FBI should make the information public.
"We've got a big election coming here in just a week. I think it's important the voters go to the polls as completely and thoroughly informed as they can be," he said.
Hillary Clinton's campaign has demanded the FBI release details on the new emails.
"The Director owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what he is now examining. We are confident this will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July," campaign chair John Podesta said in a statement. He also added that it was "extraordinary" that something like this would come just 11 days before the election.
DeSantis thinks Comey also didn't have much of a choice in coming forward.
"Had Comey not done this and something happened after she was potentially elected president, then he would have had a lot to answer for in Congress," he said. "I think it's unprecedented to have something this close to the election, but at the same time I think the American people just need to know kind of where the FBI is."
— CNBC's Christine Wang contributed to this report.