'We Wired It': Sen. Bob Menendez Accused Of Staging Question During Hillary Clinton's Benghazi Hearings
BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is under fire again as he is accused of playing a staged role during Hillary Clinton's Benghazi hearings.
CBS2's Christine Sloan reported conservative group Citizens United said new emails it just obtained suggest that question was staged.
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The first question Menendez – the acting chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee then – asked Clinton was, "Can you give us your insights on the decision making process regarding the location of the mission and as part of that can you also in your response – and you touched upon it in your opening statement – what actions were you and your staff taking on the night of Sept. 11 and the 12?"
Citizens United claims an email between a senior aide to the Democratic presidential nominee and Chelsea Clinton reveal that the question was staged.
The email reads, "We wired it that Menendez would provide an opportunity to address two topics we needed to debunk (her actions/whereabouts on 9/11 and these emails from Chris Stevens about moving locations).
Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed during the attack on the American embassy.
"In my 24 years in Congress and the last 11 in the Senate and as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I don't let my questions be wired by anyone," Menendez said.
Menendez denied the allegation from Citizens United.
"That's absolutely not true. First of all, the chairman always asks the first questions. Secondly, the questions that I asked were not prepared with anyone, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that some of the questions you asked were some of the most pressing questions people had about Secretary Clinton's role, her whereabouts, her knowledge and what not as it related to Benghazi," the New Jersey senator stated.
CBS2's Sloan reached out to the Clinton campaign for a response, but have yet to receive one.
The family members of two people killed in the Benghazi attack have filed a federal lawsuit against Clinton, claiming she was responsible because she was secretary of state at the time.