Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is willing to testify only once — not twice — before a House panel investigating the terrorist attacks on Benghazi.
Clinton lawyer David Kendall sent a letter Tuesday to Select Committee on Benghazi Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. telling him “there is no basis, logic or precedent for such an unusual request.”
Gowdy received Kendall’s letter and “will take his response into consideration,” Benghazi panel spokesman Jamal Ware said.
“The committee has consistently shown it is interested in getting the facts and doing so in a deliberate and diligent manner,” Ware said. “As a result of the Benghazi Committee’s efforts, the American people now know about Secretary Clinton’s unusual email arrangement with herself, something that would not be known had the committee rushed to call the former secretary in November as Committee Democrats pushed.”
Gowdy last month sent a letter to Kendall requesting Clinton testify twice before the panel. Gowdy said lawmakers needed the two appearances to grill her on her private email server as well as how she handled the security at the American consulate in Benghazi as well as the aftermath of the attacks, which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and four other Americans.
But Kendall said Clinton can answer all of those questions in one hearing.
“The secretary is fully prepared to stay for the duration of the Committee’s questions the day she appears,” Kendall said.
Gowdy, in the earlier letter to Kendall, set a May 18 date for Clinton’s first appearance. Kendall wants it to be her only appearance.
“On such a day, she will stay as long as necessary to answer the committee’s questions, but will not prolong the committee’s efforts further by appearing on two separate occasions when one will suffice.”
The ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said he backs Clinton’s decision to appear only once.
“Dragging out this process further into the presidential election season sacrifices any chance that the American people will see it as serious or legitimate,” Cummings said.
