WASHINGTON The idea that the FBI s actions just before the 2016 election affected its outcome makes FBI Director James Comey mildly nauseous, he testified on Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

During the hearing, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) asked Comey to explain his decision to inform Congress and therefore, the public in a letter that the FBI might be reopening its investigation into Hillary Clintons private email server just days before Americans went to the polls.

The FBI director responded by recalling a meeting on Oct. 27, 2016, when he was informed about metadata on former New York Rep. Anthony Weiners computer indicating that thousands of emails to and from Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, were on the device.

The FBI had never found any emails from Clintons first three months as secretary of state, Comey said, and at that point, believed the emails could be relevant to its investigation.

Ive lived my entire career by the tradition that if you can possibly avoid it, you avoid any action in the lead-up to an election that might have any impact, whether its a dog catcher election or president of the United States, Comey said. But I sat there that morning, and I could not see a door labeled No Action Here.