Some Relatives Of Benghazi Victims Oppose “What About Benghaaazi?” Committee

Boehner and Gowdy discuss the Benghazi committee. (from Boehner's Flickr feed)
Boehner and Gowdy discuss the Benghazi committee. (from Boehner’s Flickr feed)

For the last two years, Republicans have justified their windmill-tilting expedition for supposed White House malfeasance in the 2012 Benghazi killings by saying that they want to give justice to the families of the four victims. However, hours after House Speaker John Boehner announced the formation of a select committee to investigate the attack on the Libyan embassy and the White House’s response to it, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi put a severe ding in that argument–at least two relatives of the victims have reached out to members of the Democratic caucus to let it be known they oppose the committee’s formation. According to Pelosi, they asked her caucus to give Boehner a simple message–“Please don’t take us down this path again.”

Now, Think Progress’ Hayes Brown reports that the identity of one of those relatives can be confirmed–a relative of Tyrone Woods, one of the CIA contractors who died in the attack. A staffer with House Rules Committee ranking member Louise Slaughter told Brown that one of Woods’ maternal relatives expressed support for Slaughter’s rousing speech yesterday opposing the committee’s formation. The Democrat from New York state declared that the committee, to be chaired by Republican Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, was evidence that the House had “bottomed out on Benghazi.” This reveals a significant divide in Woods’ family; his father, Charles, has made the rounds of the conservative press to condemn the administration’s response to the attacks.

Gowdy let slip on Wednesday’s edition of “Morning Joe” that his committee’s investigation will essentially be a trial–but one in which the Obama administration has already been found guilty.? And now we have at least two of the victims’ relatives who oppose it. Taken together, no one can credibly argue that this committee will be anything more than a farce–and that’s being extremely kind to it.

Edited/Published by: SB


Darrell Lucus.jpg Darrell Lucus is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.