Federal investigators formally investigated
top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin for
the crime of embezzlement after confirming
she took a “Babymoon” vacation and
maternity time at the State Department
without expending her formal leave,
resulting in thousands of dollars of pay
she wasn’t entitled to receive,
The Washington Times has learned.
top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin for
the crime of embezzlement after confirming
she took a “Babymoon” vacation and
maternity time at the State Department
without expending her formal leave,
resulting in thousands of dollars of pay
she wasn’t entitled to receive,
The Washington Times has learned.
The probe also gathered evidence she
filed timesheets charging the government
for impermissible overtime and excessive
hours after she converted from a fulltime
federal employer to a State Department
contractor. Those timecards were filed
during a period of time that remains
under investigation over questions about
possible conflicts of interest, documents
gathered by the State Department inspector
general show.
filed timesheets charging the government
for impermissible overtime and excessive
hours after she converted from a fulltime
federal employer to a State Department
contractor. Those timecards were filed
during a period of time that remains
under investigation over questions about
possible conflicts of interest, documents
gathered by the State Department inspector
general show.
Ms. Abedin, who served as a deputy chief
of staff to Mrs. Clinton from 2009 thru late
2012, told investigators she hadn’t noticed
she had received a $33,000 lump sum
payment — about a third of which
investigators determined was improper —
when she left the State. She suggested her
husband, the disgraced former
congressman Anthony Weiner, failed
to let her know.
of staff to Mrs. Clinton from 2009 thru late
2012, told investigators she hadn’t noticed
she had received a $33,000 lump sum
payment — about a third of which
investigators determined was improper —
when she left the State. She suggested her
husband, the disgraced former
congressman Anthony Weiner, failed
to let her know.
“My husband handles all the finances
in our household,” she told investigators
during a recorded interview in October 2014.
in our household,” she told investigators
during a recorded interview in October 2014.
She said she only learned of the payment
after being contacted by investigators two
years after her departure. “I did ask my
husband to look up our bank statements,
and we did have a deposit,” she said during
her interview.
after being contacted by investigators two
years after her departure. “I did ask my
husband to look up our bank statements,
and we did have a deposit,” she said during
her interview.
She also acknowledged it was likely she
did not fill out the required form when she
went on a two-week vacation to Europe in
2011 while she was pregnant — a trip she
called a “Babymoon” in emails and her
interview.
did not fill out the required form when she
went on a two-week vacation to Europe in
2011 while she was pregnant — a trip she
called a “Babymoon” in emails and her
interview.
The failure to file the form resulted in her
having excessive vacation time cashed
out to her in the lump payment upon
leaving government, investigators
concluded.
having excessive vacation time cashed
out to her in the lump payment upon
leaving government, investigators
concluded.
“You are 100 percent right on the
Babymoon. I don’t recall. One hundred
percent right. I don’t recall filling out any
paperwork saying I was taking leave,”
she told the investigators. “And I’m not
even going to blame it on my pregnancy
brain.”
Babymoon. I don’t recall. One hundred
percent right. I don’t recall filling out any
paperwork saying I was taking leave,”
she told the investigators. “And I’m not
even going to blame it on my pregnancy
brain.”
The State Department’s inspector general
formally concluded that Ms. Abedin failed
to correctly submit multiple required
timesheet and leave forms covering her
vacation and maternity leave, resulting
in an overpayment of $10,674.32 that
she wasn’t entitled to receive when she
left her job.
formally concluded that Ms. Abedin failed
to correctly submit multiple required
timesheet and leave forms covering her
vacation and maternity leave, resulting
in an overpayment of $10,674.32 that
she wasn’t entitled to receive when she
left her job.
Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican,
the influential chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, has repeatedly
questioned Ms. Abedin’s compensation
and work arrangements under Mrs. Clinton,
suggesting she was overpaid and may
have engaged in conflicts of interest when
she worked both for State as a
contractor and a firm in New York
connected to friends of the Clinton family.
the influential chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, has repeatedly
questioned Ms. Abedin’s compensation
and work arrangements under Mrs. Clinton,
suggesting she was overpaid and may
have engaged in conflicts of interest when
she worked both for State as a
contractor and a firm in New York
connected to friends of the Clinton family.
Ms. Abedin’s lawyer, Miguel Rodriguez,
has accused the senator of a smear job
in suggesting there was any criminality.
has accused the senator of a smear job
in suggesting there was any criminality.
The documents provided to the Times
by a source outside the Senate or the
IG’s office make clear, however,
the inquiry was clearly criminal
in nature and ultimately referred
to federal prosecutors.
by a source outside the Senate or the
IG’s office make clear, however,
the inquiry was clearly criminal
in nature and ultimately referred
to federal prosecutors.
Mr. Rodriguez did not immediately
return a call seeking comment from
the Times on Wednesday. However,
he sent a letter to the OIG disputing
its conclusions, saying investigators
should have credited Ms. Abedin for
the time she worked while off rather
than demand she repay the money.
return a call seeking comment from
the Times on Wednesday. However,
he sent a letter to the OIG disputing
its conclusions, saying investigators
should have credited Ms. Abedin for
the time she worked while off rather
than demand she repay the money.
“I am deeply troubled by gaps in the
OIG’s investigation, holes in its
methodology, unsupported allegations,
as well as its conclusory demand
(contradicted by evidence in the report
itself) that Ms. Abedin refund the
Department’s alleged overpayment,”
he wrote. “Further, while it is undisputed
that Ms. Abedin worked during her periods
·of leave - and indeed that she was
known as a workaholic who rarely
took vacation - absolutely no effort
was made to calculate the amount
of time Ms. Abedin worked during the
periods in question and whether her
work hours amounted to at least eight
hours a day. Any State Department
employee - indeed any government
employee - deserves better, and so
does Ms. Abedin.”
OIG’s investigation, holes in its
methodology, unsupported allegations,
as well as its conclusory demand
(contradicted by evidence in the report
itself) that Ms. Abedin refund the
Department’s alleged overpayment,”
he wrote. “Further, while it is undisputed
that Ms. Abedin worked during her periods
·of leave - and indeed that she was
known as a workaholic who rarely
took vacation - absolutely no effort
was made to calculate the amount
of time Ms. Abedin worked during the
periods in question and whether her
work hours amounted to at least eight
hours a day. Any State Department
employee - indeed any government
employee - deserves better, and so
does Ms. Abedin.”
The FBI was first alerted that the IG
was conducting a “criminal investigation”
of Ms. Abedin in a memo dated
Oct. 22, 2013, the records show.
was conducting a “criminal investigation”
of Ms. Abedin in a memo dated
Oct. 22, 2013, the records show.
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