“No wonder millions of Americans think the system is rigged,” closed a Wall Street Journal editorial published on Wednesday. This was no throwaway line. It concluded a damning exploration of the myriad ways in which the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s reckless handling of America’s national affairs as Secretary of State have diverted from standard practice. It is an observation that has intrinsic merit, and it raises the question: If America’s institutions are bending the rules in order to shield Clinton from the consequences of her actions, what will be the cost?

Lost in the heat of the closing days of a campaign for the White House have been the revelations that close aides and advisors to Hillary Clinton, Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson, received immunity from prosecution in exchange for their cooperation in the investigation into Clinton’s “homebrew” server. In exchange for this courtesy, both Clinton confidantes agreed to surrender their laptops but only on the condition that the FBI would not search them for evidence dated past January 31, 2015, and would destroy them soon afterward.