Judicial Watch: Emails Reveal Huma Abedin Secured a Lunch Meeting at the State Department for a Major Clinton Foundation Donor
The government watchdog group Judicial Watch is continuing to keep the pressure on former Obama administration officials and those who were directly involved in the scandal surrounding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
The group’s latest drop of 549 emails released as the result of Freedom of Information Act lawsuits includes communications from longtime Clinton confidante Huma Abedin that suggests more pay-to-play linking the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton-run State Department. Judicial Watch issued the following statement about the email exchange:
In November 2009, Abedin secured and oversaw the invitation for Clinton Foundation donor Sant S. Chatwal to attend the State Department luncheon for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vice President Joe Biden. Chatwal attended both the State lunch and dinner.
From: Deena Howard [Redacted]
To: Huma Abedin; [email protected]
Sent: Thu Nov 12 17:41:21 2009
Subject: State Dinner
Dear Huma,
Long time no hear. I’ve been watching your travels on the news. Hope all is going well.
As you know, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Obama are having a State Dinner. Any possibilities to include me and my wife for this dinner? If so, that would be really great! But, if not, that’s ok too I totally understand.
With Best Regards,
Sant Chatwal
From: Huma Abedin [mailto: [email protected]]
Sent, Friday, November 13, 2009 3:13 PM
To: santchatwal [Redacted]
Subject: Re: State Dinner
So nice to hear from you!
Was going to send you an email myself. We have no control over the white house state dinner. But, Hillary is hosting the state lunch for the prime minister with vice president biden at the state department and you should be receiving your invitation to that soon. Will be the same day, nov 24th. Hope all is well.
At the time Abedin oversaw the State Department luncheon invitation, Chatwal had a track record of legal troubles in the U.S. and abroad. Despite his record, in 2001, Chatwal was appointed a Clinton Foundation trustee and reportedly raised millions of dollars for the operation.
Included is an unsecured email from Clinton to Abedin, which is also available on the State Department website, containing an analysis of the U.S. Afghanistan policy by Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal. The email shows that names were redacted under laws that protect the names of individuals working with the Defense Intelligence Agency/National Reconnaissance Office/National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The Abedin emails also contain a message from Clinton Foundation executive and Teneo founder Doug Band, instructing Abedin on having Secretary of State Clinton appear at a Clinton Global reception in Davos. The November 16, 2009, message read: “Hosting a reception a at davos for cgi as we did the last few years. It’s the single to be at the event and will be jan 27 or whenever she would be there as having her drop by would help a lot.” According to Clinton’s schedule, she did not attend the Davos meeting.
The records released by Judicial Watch contained 21 previously undisclosed Clinton emails—of a total of at least 259 that were not part of the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton turned over to the State Department. This further contradicts statements by Clinton that, “as far as she knew,” all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department.
“These new emails provide further proof that Hillary Clinton used her official office to provide special treatment for donors to the Clinton Foundation and members of the Foundation staff,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “And the new national security material in these emails will increase pressure on the Trump administration to authorize a serious investigation of Clinton’s email practices.” {eoa}
