The senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee says Republican obsession over the White House’s handling of the inquiry into last year’s deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, is hurting the investigation.
“I think the desire of the Republicans to create a scandal here has really undermined any ability to have a credible look at what actually happened,” Rep. Adam Smith, Washington Democrat, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
The dispute between the State Department and the CIA regarding what to include in initial reports on the Benghazi attack has been unfairly tagged as the next Watergate scandal by Republicans, he said.
“The dispute was how soon to leap to the conclusion about specific groups being involved in this,” he said.
But Rep. Mike Rogers, Michigan Republican and chairman of the House’s Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he was troubled by the administration’s handing of the probe.
“I, as the chairman of the intelligence committee, am not happy with the progress of the investigation,” Mr. Rogers told “Fox News Sunday.” “We have a serious problem.
“The more time that grew between the actual event and bringing those who were responsible to justice causes us national security troubles overseas.”
• Sean Lengell can be reached at slengell@washingtontimes.com.
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