Benghazi Committee hits cost milestone, Dems say (GOPers now planning trip to Europe!): (HRC GRP)
The House panel investigating the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, has cost the government $5 million, Democrats said on Thursday, in what critics described as further evidence that the panel should shut down.
Thursday’s milestone comes after repeated allegations from Democrats that the panel has wasted taxpayer money in a political effort to attack former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton survived a marathon testimony before the committee last month.
Adding to the expense, committee Democrats said on Thursday that committee lawmakers are currently scheduling a “lavish and expensive” trip to Italy and other European countries as part of their ongoing investigation.
“In the 11-hour marathon hearing with Secretary Clinton, Republicans showed the world that the Benghazi Select Committee is a taxpayer-funded fishing expedition to derail Secretary Clinton’s presidential campaign — and that their net came up empty,” Elijah Cummings (Md.), the panel's top Democrat, said in a statement announcing the milestone.
“The Republicans will never resuscitate the credibility of this committee, and they certainly won’t do so by traveling to Italy on the taxpayers’ dime.”
The cost estimates do not include the roughly half-dozen previous congressional probes into the 2012 violence, Democrats were quick to point out. The attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens....
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/259952-benghazi-panel-hits-cost-milestone-dems-say via The Hill
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