Report: Weiner’s wife under police protection after receiving threat

Huma Abedin, the deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the wife of former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), has been placed under police protection after receiving a threat, according to a report in the New York Post.

The report, which cites unnamed law enforcement sources, says Abedin was threatened by a man after Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) last week claimed the State Department official had family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and called for a probe.

The Post said the suspect was "questioned by the NYPD and the State Department and has not been charged." The report described the suspect as a “Muslim man” from New Jersey.

Bachmann made the claims targeting Abedin in a letter last week in which she charged that the Clinton aide could be using her position in government to assist the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which has been linked to violence in the past.

Her letter brought quick condemnation from colleagues on both sides of the aisle, who blasted the assertions. 

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took to the Senate floor, calling the letter a "specious and degrading" attack.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) defended Abedin on Thursday, saying that while he did not know her well, "From everything that I know of her, she has a sterling character.

"I think accusations like this being thrown around are pretty dangerous," Boehner added.

Bachmann has said her letter is being distorted. In an interview with Glenn Beck last week, the Minnesota lawmaker said she “did not infer that [Abedin] is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or that she’s working on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood.” 

Bachmann said she only intended to raise questions about Abedin’s security clearance and if she was thoroughly vetted.

"Did she have to go through the same sort of process that anyone else has to go to? Did they check the boxes?" Bachmann asked. 

The heads of the House Intelligence Committee have also moved quickly to distance themselves from her allegations.

Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said Bachmann's claims were not supported by any intelligence she might have been privy to as a member of the committee. 

"That kind of assertion certainly doesn't comport with the Intelligence Committee, and I can say that on the record," Rogers told USA Today last week. "I have no information in my committee that would indicate that Huma is anything other than an American patriot."

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, called it "unfortunate" that Bachmann would make such an allegation.

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