Huma Abedin is widely known as one of Hillary Clinton’s most trusted aides and advisers. She’s also known for keeping a low public profile and for being the wife of Anthony Weiner, aka Carlos Danger.
According to a new report by Tom Hamburger, Rosalind S. Helderman, and Carol D. Leonnig of the Washington Post, Ms. Abedin is now going to be the subject of another scandal for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign:
Top Clinton aide accused of receiving overpayments at State DepartmentState Department investigators concluded this year that Huma Abedin, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s closest aides, was overpaid by nearly $10,000 because of violations of rules governing vacation and sick leave during her tenure as an official in the department.The finding — which Abedin has formally contested — emerged publicly Friday after Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to Secretary of State John F. Kerry and others seeking more information about an investigation into possible “criminal” conduct by Abedin concerning her pay.The letters also sought the status of an inquiry into whether Abedin had violated conflict-of-interest laws related to her special employment situation, which allowed her to work simultaneously for the State Department, the Clinton Foundation and a private firm with close ties to the Clintons.
You should read the entire article but for now, I’ll refer you to Paul Mirengoff of Powerline who points out other problems:
Overpayment isn’t the only serious misconduct that Clinton’s confidante may have indulged in. There is also the matter of conflict-of-interest.For part of her time at the State Department, Abedin had what the Post euphemistically calls a “special employment relationship.” Clinton permitted her to work not just for State, but also for the Clinton Foundation and for a private firm with close ties to the Clintons — Teneo, headed by long-time Bill Clinton aide, Doug Band.The potential for conflicted interests is obvious. For instance, Grassley says that Band emailed Abedin to seek her help in landing a White House appointment for a friend. The friend led a charity that later hired Band’s firm and donated to the Clinton Foundation (a typical case of modern-day Clinton “triangulation”).
Naturally, the report is being disputed by Abedin’s lawyer. FOX News reports:
Attorney for Clinton aide Abedin says overpayment report ‘fundamentally flawed’The federal report that purportedly found a top Hillary Clinton aide was overpaid by nearly $10,000 because she violated State Department rules while at the agency is “fundamentally flawed,” an attorney for the Clinton aide said Saturday.“No hardworking, dedicated public servant should be subjected to irresponsible allegations based on a fundamentally flawed report, and the State Department has undertaken a review of the report,” attorney Karen Dunn said.
It’s getting ever more difficult to take the Clinton campaign’s word for it on anything.
Featured image is a screencap from Politico.
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