Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has denied the wool being pulled over his eyes by alleged Russian spy Maria Butina, but admits he was duped by a former business partner who he claims is an operative for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Clarke, 61, made the claims in a tweet Sunday, accusing lawyer Hedieh Mirahmadi of fooling him, local station FOX 6 Now reported.
Sheriff David Clarke (left) met alleged Russian spy Maria Butina during a 2015 trip to Moscow with the NRA. (Images courtesy of Getty Images and Facebook)
“I was DUPED, not by Maria Butina but by @libertylover202 who is HEDIEH MIRAHMADI, reported to be Muslim Brotherhood operative in US government by many. People warned me. All I know is I am distancing myself now,” he wrote.
The disgraced sheriff was one of several officials that Butina’s group spent $6,000 on to cover expenses for Clarke’s trip to Russia in 2015. Last month, the Justice Department indicted Butina for trying to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and other prominent political groups.
Mirahmadi, a lawyer who has worked for the federal government, has vehemently denied Clarke’s claims, calling them inaccurate. She formerly served as Clarke’s business partner at DAC Enterprises, a company the two created after Clark resigned as Milwaukee County sheriff in 2017, according to the station.
“I wrestled with a bear and got maimed,” Mirahmadi said of her work with Clarke. “ … I consider his accusation laughable but need to confer with my attorney before I make any further comment.”
Clarke once described Mirahmadi as an “invaluable partner” and even defended her against the same accusations he made against her on Sunday.
” … When someone is unfairly smeared, they deserve a chance to defend themselves,” he wrote in 2017.
Watch more in the video below.
