A U.S.-based news website has claimed the movement of former imam Fethullah Gülen, who is wanted on charges of terrorism in Turkey, was in close contact with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, according to the latter's personal email records.

The arch conservative Daily Caller referred to emails disclosed by Judicial Watch, a conservative foundation that was behind a lawsuit over Clinton's use of a personal email account for official correspondence while serving as secretary of state. A 2009 message by Gökhan Özkök, an alleged Gülenist, asked Clinton's then deputy chief of staff Huma Abedin to arrange a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, a former secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, during a visit by Obama to Turkey. The Daily Caller claims Özkök was among donors to Clinton's past campaigns as well as board member of a Gülen-linked foundation and businesses, and a meeting between İhsanoğlu and Obama did take place.

Another link between the two, according to the Daily Caller, is a Gülen-affiliated group that hired a lobbying firm that worked for Clinton. It says the Alliance For Shared Values hired the Clinton-connected Podesta Group to lobby Congress on its behalf.

The same website claimed last year that Gülen's followers donated to Clinton's various political campaigns with individual donations of up to $1 million.