House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that the House’s new investigative committee looking into the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attacks must be equally divided between Democrats and Republicans — an aggressive demand that could dent the investigation before it even gets rolling.
Mrs. Pelosi didn’t rule out having Democrats take part in the investigation, but set conditions she said were necessary to make the inquiry “fair.”
“The panel should be equally divided between Democrats and Republicans as is done on the House Ethics Committee,” she said “It should require that witnesses are called and interviewed, subpoenas are issued, and information is shared on a bipartisan basis. Only then could it be fair.”
House Speaker John A. Boehner announced the committee on Friday, reversing long-standing opposition. On Monday, he said the committee would be led by Rep. Trey Gowdy, a second-term congressman and former federal prosecutor who has established a reputation as a tenacious investigator.
Other details of how Republicans plan to structure the committee, including its membership, have yet to be revealed.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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