Benghazi Committee Formally Calls Upon Hillary Clinton to Testify on Emails
In a letter to Hillary Clinton‘s attorney, the House Select Committee on Benghazi formally requested that the former Secretary of State testify in front of the committee about her exclusive use of a personal email address.
The letter, addressed to Clinton lawyer David E. Kendall, asks that Clinton agree to do a private transcribed interview before May 1st.
“Our Committee has no interest in any emails related to the Secretary’s personal, private matters nor is our Committee seeking documents unrelated to Libya and Benghazi during the relevant time periods,” Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) wrote. “The Committee is, however, committed to reviewing and considering every document related to the work the House of Representatives charged us with doing.”
Gowdy reiterated claims brought forth by Clinton’s critics, namely that her exclusive use of a private email address was “highly unusual, if not unprecedented.” He said the fact that Clinton destroyed those records only “exacerbates” the committee’s need to investigate further, repeating the committee’s earlier request that she needs to turn over her server to an independent third-party investigator.
–RELATED: Boehner to Launch Investigation into Clinton Emails
According to The Hill, the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) knocked the decision to summon Clinton, saying it should in fact be a public testimony to avoid the tendency for Republican members to selectively leak information from the private interview.
“Secretary Clinton agreed to testify months ago-in public and under oath-so the Select Committee’s claim that it has no choice but to subject her to a private staff interview is inaccurate,” Cummings said. “Rather than drag out this political charade into 2016 and selectively leak portions of a closed-door interview, the Committee should schedule the public hearing, make her records public, and re-focus its efforts on the attacks in Benghazi.”
You can read Gowdy’s full letter HERE.
[Image via screengrab]
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