Another Republican lawmaker says the House Select Committee on Benghazi is meant to go after the reputation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Rep. Richard Hanna, R-New York, said Wednesday on New York’s’ WIBX 950 that he thinks “that there was a big part of this investigation that was designed to go after people and an individual, Hillary Clinton.”
Hanna’s comments come on the heels of similar comments from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy who said late last month that one of the committee’s goals was to sink Clinton’s poll numbers. And days ago, a former staffer on the Benghazi committee publicly accused the committee of conducting a “partisan investigation” targeting Clinton.
“After what Kevin McCarthy said, it’s difficult to accept at least a part of it was not,” said Hanna, who is not a member of the committee. “I think that’s the way Washington works. But you’d like to expect more from a committee that’s spent millions of dollars and tons of time.”
Clinton is scheduled to testify before the panel on October 22.
Brian Fallon, the Clinton campaign’s press secretary, said Wednesday that Hanna’s comment show that “House Republicans aren’t even shy anymore about admitting that the Benghazi Committee is a partisan farce.”
“Hillary Clinton will still attend next week’s hearing,” Fallon said, “but at this point, (Chairman) Trey Gowdy’s inquiry has zero credibility left.”
While McCarthy quickly walked back his comments, Democrats quickly seized on his gaffe and Republicans winced in rebuke, ultimately derailing McCarthy’s brief bid for House speaker.
“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?” McCarthy had said. “But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought.”
The comments also provided Clinton, her campaign aides and supporters with a tailor-made response to the political questions Clinton will face when she testifies.
At the first Democratic debate on Tuesday night, Clinton previewed how she will likely go after the committee during her testimony, telling the audience that the committee is “basically an arm of the Republican National Committee.”
“It is a partisan vehicle, as admitted by the House Republican majority leader, Mr. McCarthy, to drive down my poll numbers. Big surprise. And that’s what they have attempted to do,” Clinton said, adding later, “But I’ll be there. I’ll answer their questions.”