EXCLUSIVE: Senator Grassley Slams Clinton Aide as ‘Unresponsive’

One of the senators investigating Hillary Clinton’s private email scandal is pushing back at Clinton’s top aide after she publicly disparaged his efforts.

Clinton’s right-hand aide Huma Abedin’s attorney wrote a letter to the State Department accusing Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) of making “unfounded allegations” against Abedin that damaged her reputation, as the New York Times reported Monday. Grassley asked Abedin more than two years ago about her maternity leave pay, which might have been inflated, and, more importantly, about her side work for the Clinton-linked consulting firm Teneo. The private firm, founded by former Clinton adviser Doug Band, led to conflict-of-interest suspicions related to the Clinton Foundation and resulted in Band’s resignation from Clinton-world.

Grassley still wants answers.

“Senator Grassley’s inquiry is about whether government programs, such as the Special Government Employee designation, are working as intended in the public interest and as designed by statute and regulations,” Grassley spokeswoman Jill Gerber told Breitbart News. Gerber said:

He began asking questions of the State Department in June 2013. Since the State Department has been largely unresponsive, and hasn’t provided the documents he requested, his questions have continued and in some cases, evolved as new information has come to light. Most recently, he wrote to the State Department, Ms. Abedin and the State Department inspector general’s office after he and several other congressional offices received information about an inspector general investigation related to Ms. Abedin. His letters gave the State Department and Ms. Abedin the opportunity to respond and provide additional details.

“He sent his letters on July 30.  Responses haven’t come in,” Gerber said. “The best way for the department to address any claims of inaccuracy would be to fully answer Sen. Grassley’s questions, including providing emails requested more than two years ago.”