Rep. Elijah Cummings challenged House Speaker John A. Boehner on Thursday to order his GOP allies to stop fundraising off efforts to investigate what led to the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans.
“If you want to send out a message, send that one out,” the Maryland Democrat told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Mr. Cummings, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, said a new, GOP-led select committee to investigate the attacks is unlikely to cover new ground, after Republicans on his committee expended significant effort on the probe.
Congressional Democrats on Wednesday were still weighing whether to even participate in the select committee, which is to be led by Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Republican. House Republicans say the special investigative panel is necessary because the White House has not been transparent enough on the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Mr. Gowdy said Wednesday it would be inappropriate for GOP operatives to fundraise off of the issue.
Yet multiple news reports said the National Republican Congressional Committee sent off fundraising pitches that say “You Can Become a Benghazi Watchdog Right Now.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.