Washington: Sant Singh Chatwal, a prominent hotelier and convicted Indian-American Democratic Party fundraiser, secured an invitation to a State Department lunch for the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 through top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, according to emails.

The emails obtained by Judicial Watch show that donors to the Clinton Foundation thought that they could receive favours from the State Department while Ms Clinton was at the helm. According to the emails, Ms Abedin was asked by Mr Chatwal, who has donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation, to secure an invitation to an Obama administration State Dinner. Ms Abedin said Clinton’s office was unable to secure an invitation to the State Dinner, but offered Mr Chatwal access to the Indian PM nonetheless, The Washington Free Beacon reported.