Without naming her in his Senate floor speech, Sen. McCain was defending Abedin from accusations levied by the Center for Security Policy and advanced by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), among others members of Congress, that the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated several U.S. government institutions.
Bachmann told a radio host in June that she believed “there has been deep penetration in the halls of our United States government by the Muslim Brotherhood.” When a request for clarification was made by her colleague Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Bachmann submitted a letter in which she expressed concern about Abedin’s financial connection to the Brotherhood.