President Obama and his administrative heads have been covering up details about the attacks that took place on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, leaving four Americans dead, one key senator said this week.
“I think the current administration has taken lying to a new level,” said Sen. John Cornyn, Politico reported.
Mr. Cornyn, Texas Republican, said the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, under Rep. Darrell E. Issa, California Republican, has been trying hard to obtain the truthful details of the Sept. 11, 2012, attack. But it’s hard, he said, when the White House stymies all attempts to interview witnesses and survivors, Politico reported.
“Since the terrible tragedy that took four American lives in Benghazi, we’ve had a difficulty — to put it mildly — trying to get to the bottom of this,” Mr. Cornyn said, Politico reported. “Now the goal is to talk to the Benghazi survivors, the people who were actually there, who can tell the truth and expose what happened and hold the people responsible accountable. This has been a cover-up from the very beginning.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released on its website the images of three men who were believed to be on the grounds during the Benghazi attack and in a position to provide information to help the federal probe. But so far, little has come from the investigation, and the FBI has said Benghazi officials are hampering the United States’ ability to obtain information, too.
But some lawmakers, as well as family members of victims, say the White House steadfastly is refusing to allow witnesses — especially contractors who were on scene but injured — to speak freely about the attack. And it’s all part of an administration-wide concealment, they accuse.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Benghazi Attack Under Microscope
“It’s harder when the administration decides to cover this up and mislead and to change the subject, which they seem very good at doing, but … I assure you, we’re not going to let this one go,” Mr. Cornyn said in the Politico report. “To me, that’s the one thing that I find most aggravating about what’s happening in Washington these days and particularly about this administration, which is a lack of accountability and the willingness to mislead people or provide them just demonstrably false information and expect to be able to move on.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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