Yesterday, Politico and other outlets reported that Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was investigating whether Huma Abedin" class="company-link">Huma Abedin’s role in the U.S. State Department conflicted with her private consulting work. Ms. Abedin, of course, is the wife of Anthony Weiner, a Democrat mounting a high-profile campaign for mayor this year. Politicker caught up with Mr. Weiner earlier today to get his take on the situation.
The former congressman, speaking broadly, touted his wfe’s accomplishments in pubic life while insisting everything she did was “above board.”
“I’m proud of my wife and I’m proud of the work she’s done. And I think she has lived a career in public life [where] everything has been documented,” he told Politicker at a Forest Hills campaign stop. “So I’m very proud of my wife and what she’s accomplished. And she has done everything completely above board with approval of the State Department. And that’s the end of that.”
As the Senate is controlled by Democrats, Mr. Grassley’s actual authority on the matter is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, Mr. Weiner said “any questions will be answered.”
Mr. Grassley’s inquiry, reportedly sent to both Secretary of State John Kerry and the consulting firm, Teneo Holdings, features a wide range of questions concerning what exactly her government and private business roles entailed and who authorized them. Specifically, Mr. Grassley wants to know if “political intelligence” from the Department of State helped inform her work with Teneo.
Ms. Abedin, a long-time aide to Mr. Kerry’s predecessor, Hillary Clinton, left the job when Ms. Clinton left President Barack Obama’s administration earlier this year. Ms. Clinton is widely seen as a leading candidate for the White House in 2016.