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Michele Bachmann Accuses Anthony Weiner's Wife of Extremist Muslim Ties

By Jill Colvin | July 17, 2012 12:35pm
Huma Abedin gives a note to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a hearing at the Senate.
Huma Abedin gives a note to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a hearing at the Senate.
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Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images

NEW YORK CITY — Conservative firebrand Michele Bachmann has accused disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner’s wife of being part of a Muslim conspiracy to infiltrate the U.S. government.

In a letter sent to the Department of State, Bachman claimed Huma Abedin, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff and wife of Anthony Weiner, “has three family members — her late father, her mother and her brother — connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations.”

A copy of a June 13 letter was posted by Minnesota’s St. Cloud Times.

Bachmann, who has been known to make inflammatory, inaccurate statements, expanded on the charges in a separate letter last week to fellow Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim member of Congress, questioning why Abedin was able to get security clearance and not rejected under “foreign influence grounds.” The letter was posted by Salon.

Michele Bachmann is concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood's reach.
Michele Bachmann is concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood's reach.
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bachmann.house.gov

The alleged link, which Bachmann claims was revealed by the right-wing website Center for Security Policy, is allegedly part of a widespread conspiracy by the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the U.S. government and influence foreign policy that Bachmann and four other Republican members of the House have been warning federal agencies about.

Abedin's “position affords her routine access to the Secretary and to policy-making,” wrote Bachmann, Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert,  Rep. Thomas Rooney of Florida and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia in their letter to the State Department calling for an investigation.

The group also claimed the Obama administration has taken several actions recently that are “enormously favorable” to the Muslim Brotherhood, raising “serious safety concerns” that warrant “urgent attention.”

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Weiner, who is reportedly considering a mayoral run, was one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress before he was forced to resign after accidentally posting lewd images of himself on Twitter.

In an interview with radio host Sandy Rios last month, Bachmann alleged the Muslim Brotherhood's influence in the U.S. runs deep.

“It appears that there has been deep penetration in the halls of our United States government by the Muslim Brotherhood,” she said, according to the Times.

"It appears that there are individuals who are associated with the Muslim Brotherhood who have positions, very sensitive positions, in our Department of Justice, our Department of Homeland Security, potentially even in the National Intelligence Agency,” she said.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammad Mursi last month won the presidency of Egypt.