Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann publicly challenged former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s denial that he took funds from Freddie Mac to influence Republicans.
“Whether former Speaker Gingrich made $300,000 or whether he made $2 million, the point is that he took money to also influence senior Republicans to be favorable toward Fannie and Freddie,” Bachmann said during an interview after a campaign stop in Iowa. “While he was taking that money, I was fighting against Fannie and Freddie, and I believe that Fannie and Freddie should be allowed to go into receivership and have an orderly winding down, I want them ended,” Bachmann added.
The Minnesota Rep. was referring to payments totaling between $1.6 million and $1.8 million, first reported by Bloomberg News, from the mortgage giant to the Gingrich Group.
Gingrich has surged to the forefront of the Republican primary race in recent weeks, but is now dealing with news surfacing about his reported relationship with Freddie Mac.
Bachmann also referenced the murky past of several of her GOP rivals, stating, “I’m the only candidate, in the entire field, that doesn’t have any issue of compromise with President Obama…I’m consistent and they won’t find any policy surprises in my background.”
In a memo, obtained by Bloomberg News Wednesday, the former House Speaker’s staff welcomed the new focus on their candidate’s past relationship with Freddie Mac. “Freddie Mac was a small part of the client and revenue base of The Gingrich Group and Newt’s various small businesses,” the memo states.
In response to a question from CNN about his reported relationship with Freddie Mac, Gingrich responded, “I did no lobbying of any kind. That’s all I’ve got to say about it.”
