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Grayson questioned over charges his office invited consultant with terrorist ties to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON — A Capitol Hill briefing about drone strikes was scheduled to include U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson and a human rights activist based in Yemen.

The activist, Mohammad Al-Ahmady, was blocked from entering the United States, and weeks later the leader of the group he is affiliated with was named a terrorist by the U.S. government.

That group is called Al Karama, and weeks after the drone meeting took place, the government named the founder and president of that group a terrorist, linked to al-Qaida.

Grayson sent Channel 9 a press release in November announcing the event.

"I never saw this person, never had any contact with him, honestly wouldn't have known if were standing right in front of me like you are today," Grayson said.

Al-Ahmady wasn't allowed in the country and did not make it to the November briefing.

On Dec. 18, the U.S. Treasury Department alleged that the founder and president of Al Karama, Abdul Rahman Omeir al-Naimi has, "facilitated significant financial support to al-Qaida in Iraq.

Channel 9's Justin Gray spoke, via Skype, with the executive director of Al Karama in Geneva, Switzerland. He denied that anyone in his organization is involved with terrorism.

"We're not a group hiding somewhere in the hills or cliffs of Afghanistan. We're based in Geneva we're acting and dealing with the United Nations," said Mourad Dhina.

Grayson and two other members of Congress headlined the event but he said he wasn't in charge of the guest list.

"Do you all vet who comes to these sorts of events?" Gray asked Grayson.

"It wasn't our event. I simply showed up and listened to the testimony of people, other than the person you are referring to," said Grayson.

Grayson claims an outside group organized the event, but you can't hold an event in a congressional office building without a member of Congress.