Page 3 - ATD 17OCT,2015
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U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 17 October 2015
Close Clinton aide faces questions on Benghazi attacks
MATTHEW DALY ditional evidence that the Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Associated Press actual attack in Benghazi,
WASHINGTON (AP) — A and its lessons about how walks past a reporter as she returns to a hearing room on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Oct.
special Republican-led we might better protect
House panel questioned a diplomats serving in dan- 16, 2015, after a lunch break where she testified at a closed-door hearing of the House Benghazi
longtime aide to Democrat gerous places, are the last
presidential candidate Hill- things on the committee’s Committee. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
ary Rodham Clinton about mind,” said Nick Merrill, a
the deadly 2012 attacks in campaign spokesman, in a
Benghazi, Libya, despite statement.
Democrats’ insistence that Republicans have de-
Huma Abedin had little fended the panel’s inves-
knowledge about details tigation as the committee
of the terror strikes. comes under intense scruti-
Abedin, committee staff ny after two House Repub-
and a few lawmakers met licans described its work as
behind closed doors for partisan and aimed at hurt-
several hours Friday at a ing Clinton’s presidential
session focused on the bid, a characterization the
Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that panel’s chairman rejects.
killed four Americans, in- Rep. Trey Gowdy took the
cluding Ambassador Chris unusual step on Thursday
Stevens. Clinton, the front- of chiding a fellow Repub-
runner for the Democratic lican, who said the inves-
presidential nomination, is tigation was designed in
scheduled to appear be- part “to go after” Clinton.
fore the panel on Thursday Gowdy said the comments
in a widely anticipated by Rep. Richard Hanna
public hearing. were “unfortunate” and
The decision to question misinformed. Hanna is not
Abedin angered the pan- a committee member.
el’s top Democrat, Rep. Gowdy did not attend the
Elijah Cummings, and the Thursday session.
Clinton campaign. A former Republican staff-
“She had no policy respon- er also has criticized its
sibilities, no operational re- work as solely focused on
sponsibilities and was not Clinton while describing a
with Secretary Clinton on less-than-professional at-
the night of this phenom- mosphere, with an infor-
enal tragedy,” Cummings mal wine club nicknamed
told reporters after break- “Wine Wednesdays,” and
ing away momentarily from several Republican staff
the day’s proceedings. members spending time
Abedin is vice chairwom- forming a gun-buying club.
an of Clinton’s campaign Gowdy has dismissed those
and was a top State De- criticisms as coming from a
partment aide when Clin- disgruntled employee who
ton served as secretary of was fired. House Majority
state. She also worked in Leader Kevin McCarthy, a
Clinton’s Senate office. Republican, said late last
In a statement, the cam- month that the Benghazi
paign suggested that call- panel could take credit
ing Abedin as a witness for Clinton’s recent drop in
was a fresh sign of the pan- public opinion polls. He lat-
el’s partisanship. er retracted the comment.
“The committee’s focus Democrats, who have
on Huma (as opposed to complained about the $4.5
numerous intelligence and million, 17-month probe,
defense community offi- have seized on McCarthy’s
cials still outstanding) is ad- comments.q
