One Of Barack Obama’s Closest Aides Was Paid $100k By Company Doing Business With Iran

Barack Obama says that a Presidential candidate should be an open book. Unless, of course, your name is Barack Obama … 

By Laura MacInnis, Reuters – “WASHINGTON (Reuters) – One of U.S. President Barack Obama’s closest aides was paid $100,000 by a company doing business with Iran just before joining the White House staff, the Washington Post reported on Monday, raising awkward election-year questions for the Democrat trying to get tough with Tehran.

White House senior adviser David Plouffe received the speaking fee from Africa’s biggest wireless phone operator, MTN Group, for two speeches he made in Nigeria in December 2010, the company and administration officials confirmed.

Plouffe listed it with many others on his official financial disclosures after he joined the White House in January 2011. An MTN subsidiary is a major shareholder in Irancell, a major government-connected telecommunications operator in Iran.

While there has been no suggestion that Plouffe violated any law or regulation, the appearance has already exposed the White House to attack from Republican opponents.

Plouffe managed Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and has been an important behind-the-scenes player in the 2012 race, where White House efforts to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon have been under fire by Republican contender Mitt Romney.

It is typical for Washington insiders to collect lucrative speaking fees between and after their government assignments. But Republicans said MTN’s work in Iran through Irancell made the Nigeria speeches bad choices.

‘Today’s story raises serious questions,’ said Kirsten Kukowski, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. ‘David Plouffe may be the biggest loophole in the international community’s sanctions against Iran.'” Read more.

Family Of Hillary Clinton’s Closest Aide Huma Abedin Promoted Muslim Brotherhood Views – “Reflecting an apparent systemic failure, steadily burgeoning evidence … indicates that one of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closest aides, Huma Abedin, despite Ms. Clinton’s protestation, was inadequately vetted for either family or personal ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Diligent, open source investigation has already uncovered and documented numerous alarming connections. One can reasonably infer that a serious, formal congressional investigation of the overall extent of Muslim Brotherhood influence operations –as requested by Representatives Bachmann, Gohmert, Franks, Westmoreland, and Rooney — might yield even more disturbing findings.” Read more.