New emails unearthed through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by government watchdog Judicial Watch show longtime confidant and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin granting special access desired by foreign leaders and activists to Secretary of State Hillary after they donated to the Clinton Foundation.
Essentially, the emails show Abedin working as a pipeline between Secretary of State Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. When individuals wanted meetings with Clinton, Abedin would deny the meeting, introduce them to the Clinton Foundation, the Foundation would accept a donation and then access to Clinton was granted.
"In more than a dozen email exchanges, Abedin provided expedited, direct access to Clinton for donors who had contributed from $25,000 to $10 million to the Clinton Foundation. In many instances, Clinton Foundation top executive Doug Band, who worked with the Foundation throughout Hillary Clinton’s tenure at State, coordinated closely with Abedin. In Abedin’s June deposition to Judicial Watch, she conceded that part of her job at the State Department was taking care of 'Clinton family matters,' Judicial Watch detailed on its website Monday. "Included among the Abedin-Band emails is an exchange revealing that when Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain requested a meeting with Secretary of State Clinton, he was forced to go through the Clinton Foundation for an appointment. Abedin advised Band that when she went through 'normal channels' at State, Clinton declined to meet. After Band intervened, however, the meeting was set up within forty-eight hours."
Other people who worked through Abedin and her referral to the Clinton Foundation to get a meeting with Secretary Clinton include Slimfast tycoon S. Daniel Abraham, Hollywood sports executive and Wasserman Foundation President Casey Wasserman, St. Louis political power broker Joyce Aboussie, political activist Jill Iscol and others.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, Ben Ringel wrote to Abedin, “I’m on shuttle w Avigdor Liberman. I called u back yesterday. I want to stop by to see hrc tonite for 10 mins.” Ringel donated between $10,000 and $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, Ben Ringel wrote to Abedin, “I’m on shuttle w Avigdor Liberman. I called u back yesterday. I want to stop by to see hrc tonite for 10 mins.” Ringel donated between $10,000 and $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
On Saturday, May 16, 2009, mobile communications executive and political activist Jill Iscol wrote to Clinton, “Please advise to whom I should forward Jacqueline Novogratz’s request [for a meeting with the secretary of state]. I know you know her, but honestly, she is so far ahead of the curve and brilliant I believe she could be enormously helpful to your work.” Clinton subsequently sent an email to Abedin saying, “Pls print.” Jill and husband Ken Iscol donated between $500,000 and $1 million to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton subsequently appointed Novogratz to the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.
More emails are available to read here.
“These new emails confirm that Hillary Clinton abused her office by selling favors to Clinton Foundation donors,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton released in a statement Monday. “There needs to be a serious, independent investigation to determine whether Clinton and others broke the law.”
Abedin is now working for Clinton's presidential campaign.
When asked Monday about access being granted after donations to the Clinton Foundation, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner denied evidence of the situation, but would not say directly the actions didn't occur.
"We have no clear sign that that was the case. We've seen no evidence that's the case," State Department spokesman Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said Monday.
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