There is no public fanfare because this is just Comey cleaning up loose ends, finishing the job he was hired-for or coerced into doing (clear Hillary).
Such pay-to-play behavior falls under the category of “public corruption,” and Comey’s agents are trying to determine whether Hillary conducted a series of secret meetings...
They'll sift through the mountain of evidence then absolve her with "oh, but there was no intent to commit a crime." So it's all good. This is just Comey being thorough and making sure nothing can come back and bite Clinton in her considerable backside. I can hear it now: "Pay to play? Oh, that? Why the FBI looked into it and cleared her just like that whole silly classified email business..."
There is no public fanfare because this is just Comy...finishing the job (Clear Hillary)...being thorough and making sure nothing can come back and bite Clinton in her considerable backside.
Perhaps to put a slightly sharper point on your point, an in-depth FBI investigation would seem essential for an effective pardon (albeit limited to her prior actions).
Hillary: "In return for this, I want a bullet-proof pardon."
Admin: "Well, for that to happen we need to know everything there is to know about your criminal behavior so we can get the wording right."
Hillary: "No problem, just have the best folks in the world conduct a thorough, exhausting investigation; you know, the folks Trump would use if I lose the election. Whatever the results of the investigation, you issue the pardon and the MSM will handle the rest of it."