Congressman Cummings Leads Democrats In Investigation Into Benghazi Terror Attacks
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings leads Democrats on a controversial Select Committee investigation of the terror attack on the United States compound in Benghazi.
Political reporter Pat Warren has more on what's behind the investigation.
The 2012 attack left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and the fallout continues.
A new Republican-led fact-finding mission on Benghazi has Cummings as the lead Democrat on the committee.
"I personally believe what we have here is a witch hunt, but we will have to see how it goes," Cummings said.
The attack Sept. 11, 2012 was just weeks before the presidential election. The administration first blamed retaliation for an anti-Islamic video posted on YouTube and continued to take heat for that.
"The fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans," former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in May 2013.
The GOP argues the White House and State Department have misled the public and are holding back information.
"Our focus is on getting the truth to the American people and these four families," said Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Speaking for the Democrats, Congressman Cummings says the same.
"I've said it many times and I'll say it again. I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In the past we've had a lot of allegations that have been made by our Republican colleagues that have never been proven, allegations made that appear on the front page of the paper then they go chasing the facts, and they can't find the facts because they're simply not there. We will be, the Democrats on the committee, will be the defenders of the truth," Cummings said.
Cummings expects the committee members to reach some agreement because eight reports have already been done, two of them bipartisan.
According to the congressman, the scope of the Select Committee investigation has to clarified or the committee runs the risk of being buried in paperwork.
In another development, Secretary of State John Kerry has agreed to appear before the House Oversight Committee, investigating whether the State Department has complied with its subpoena for documents related to Benghazi.
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