Helle Dale
The Daily Signal
1/28/2015
…Earlier hearings had been on topics suggested by Democrats on the committee—embassy security and other improvements—that were relatively uncontroversial. But the focus of yesterday’s hearing was the Obama administration’s reluctance to produce documents and witnesses to congressional investigators. As the committee zeroed in on the Obama administration’s efforts to minimize the political fallout from the loss of American lives in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, the hearing quickly turned contentious.
Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., called the hearing with State Department representatives, led by Joel Ruben, and CIA legislative affairs representative Neil Higgins to discuss the state of compliance with requests for documents and access to witness testimony.
In his opening statement, Gowdy said both agencies had been slow to respond or had redacted large amounts of information necessary to the investigation—charges leveled by previous investigative committees. Although new documents have been produced, Gowdy said committee staffers were initially denied access to so much information they could not compile a complete hearing…
…Yesterday’s testy committee hearing may have produced more heat than light. But at least it showed Gowdy is closing in on one of the main issues regarding Benghazi—the cover up.
Read the entire article at The Daily Signal.
Related: Sharly Attkisson, Quotes from House Benghazi Select Committee Hearing on Evidence Production
“I want to know when the agencies are going to respond with the requests. I have zero interest in producing a product that is incomplete. We need to access that info now. Talking to only some of the witnesses will not work. Accessing only some of the documents will not work. If you want all of the truth you need all of the information…it is going to be done.”
“I would suspect that some, and I won’t say who, it would not be fair to Mr. Cummings, I would suspect some will come voluntarily but they’re coming whether it’s voluntarily or not. So, in urge to their benefit I would urge them to come voluntarily.”
Gowdy Torches Benghazi Witness Who Has Time for ‘Condom Demonstrations’ But Not to Do His Job (video)
South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy interrogated Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin on Tuesday, demanding to know why he hadn’t provided witnesses and documents to the Select Committee on Benghazi requested last fall. Rubin claimed that security issues, and the Justice Department, have been stumbling blocks…
