Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, said Wednesday a scathing report from the State Department’s inspector general would not have exposed details about Hillary Clinton’s private email use without pressure from Congress.
“There is only one reason why these facts are now available to the American people: thorough congressional oversight, including the Select Committee on Benghazi’s insistence that any truly comprehensive review of what happened before, during, and after the 2012 terrorist attacks in Libya must include public records from the former Secretary of State and her senior staff,” Gowdy said.
The South Carolina Republican noted Clinton’s emails have never been central to his committee’s investigation into Benghazi, but argued the probe could not have continued without access to her records.
“If anyone wonders why the investigation is not yet complete, the malfeasance and numerous problems identified in this report are Exhibit A, and prove the committee has faced serial delays from day one at the hands of public officials who sought to avoid transparency and accountability,” Gowdy added.
Republicans on the committee have faced criticism for the length of the Benghazi probe, which is presently more than two years old.
However, Gowdy and his team have documented numerous instances of administration stonewalling that have stalled the publication of the committee’s highly-anticipated report.
The inspector general report, which was provided to lawmakers Wednesday, mentioned the Benghazi committee’s role in bringing Clinton’s private email use to the State Department’s attention.
