As much of the national press continues to focus its attention on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s supposed 2016 ambitions, including her participation in an Iowa steak fry, the Daily Signal’s Sharyl Attkisson remains focused on the former first lady’s handling of the Benghazi debacle.
And here’s the latest:
Attkisson’s report continues, detailing how Maxwell was reportedly ordered to remove documents that could be used to cast Clinton and her staff in a bad light in regards to the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya.
Maxwell said he later became the State Department’s scapegoat, blamed for the many security failures that led to the murder of four Americans in Benghazi, and was placed on administrative leave for no stated reason, something for which he later confronted the State Department ombudsman.
“She told me, ‘You are taking this all too personally, Raymond. It is not about you,’ ” he said.
“I told her that ‘My name is on TV and I’m on administrative leave, it seems like it’s about me.’ Then she said, ‘You’re not harmed, you’re still getting paid. Don’t watch TV. Take your wife on a cruise. It’s not about you; it’s about Hillary and 2016,” he added.
Although Maxwell eventually retired in 2013 and left the State Department scene, his allegations will undoubtedly come up later as congressional investigators continue to dig into the events leading up to the Benghazi attacks and Hillary Clinton’s subsequent handling of the situation.
And although information regarding the attacks has been slow and scarce, it would appear that the steady focus on Clinton’s handling of State has indeed damaged her “brand,” prompting U.S. voters to sour on her.
Indeed, as noted elsewhere by the Washington Examiner, Clinton’s decision to head the State Department could prove to be her greatest political mistake.
Recall: Only 43 percent of U.S. voters hold a favorable opinion of the former secretary of state, while 41 percent of voters have a negative view, according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
In fact, Between Feb. 2009 and Sept. 2014, Clinton’s approval rating has cratered, falling from 59 percent to just 43 percent, according to the same polling data.
Sustained criticism for Clinton’s handling of the State Department from media figures and U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has likely contributed to her diminished standing with U.S. voters – and this report from Attkisson probably won’t help anything.
