As Representative Trey Gowdy (R-S. Car.) and his baby, the House Select Committee on Benghazi have become increasingly obsessed with attacking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, many have realized that what started as a way to get “real answers” on the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks at the Benghazi Compound in Libya has turned into partisan farce.
Both Rep. Gowdy and the Committee are staring down the barrel of a federal lawsuit because of that partisanship, and because of the obsessive need to myopically tow the “attack Hillary Clinton” party line, without regard for the truth.
Attack Clinton… Or Else
Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal.) and Major Brad Podliska both spoke about the truth on camera. Rep. McCarthy’s admission came just days before Secretary Clinton testified for those marathon 11 hours.
McCarthy’s on camera gaffe confirmed that the only purpose of the Benghazi Committee was to attack Clinton, and drive her poll numbers down. Even after McCarthy walked back his words, Podliska re-confirmed that the committee is nothing more than a partisan farce in a CNN interview.
Rep. Gowdy vehemently denied both men’s statements, saying McCarthy’s statement was false, and that Podliska was a “damn liar.” Rep. Gowdy and the committee should have stopped there. Their collective paranoia got the best of them, though.
In an interesting turn of events that looks for all the world like retaliation for their statements, McCarthy lost his chance to become House Speaker, and the Committee fired Podliska, defaming him in the process.
The sacrifices of these two men served as a warning that any of Rep. Gowdy’s minions who didn’t want to tow the “Attack Hillary Clinton” party line would be punished… Severely.
Gowdy’s Retaliation
Podliska, an Air Force Intelligence Officer reservist, alleges Rep. Gowdy and the Select Benghazi Committee majority members discriminated against him for his reservist duties, and for not focusing on attacking Hillary Clinton and the State Department.
The suit also alleges Rep. Gowdy personally retaliated by firing and defaming Podliska, who has paperwork to seems back up the firing claim, and Rep. Gowdy all over the media spewing the defamation. Rep. Gowdy lied again when he said CNN did not contact the committee before airing Podliska’s claims, according to CNN.
CNN included a Benghazi Committee statement in its first story, which absolutely proves Rep. Gowdy’s lie.
On May 8, 2014, Congress voted to put together the Select Benghazi Committee. Podliska brought extensive national security and intelligence experience to the Committee as an experienced intelligence officer when Staff Director Phillip Kiko hired him look at the “policies, decisions, and activities” of the Obama Administration connected with the attack.
Podliska’s reservist duties called him away twice to perform mandatory Individual Mobilization Augmenetee (IMA) services in addition to his usual Combatant Command (COCOM) training and service, according to the lawsuit. Benghazi staffers questioned the absences.
Podliska, an Air Force Intelligence Officer reservist, alleges Rep. Gowdy and the Select Benghazi Committee majority members discriminated against him for his reservist duties, and for not focusing on attacking Secretary Clinton and the State Department.
The suit also alleges Rep. Gowdy personally retaliated by firing and defaming Podliska, who has paperwork to seems back up claims, and Rep. Gowdy all over the media spewing the defamation.
Although Gowdy and the majority committee members would like to say the lawsuit is retaliatory, it looks more like Podliska’s firing is retaliatory, as he started the paperwork weeks before Gowdy publicly defamed him. Podliska then hired a lawyer to assert his rights under USERRA.
Gowdy fired him four days later, according to Slate.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) covers reservists, so Podliska’s job should have been guaranteed.
The Act states that employers cannot fire, disadvantage, or discriminate against service members for “past, present, or future military service.” Service members must be reemployed at the same level as they were when they get back, and the employers must continue benefits as if the service member never left.
All Podliska wants is his job and his pension back, as guaranteed by the USERRA, an on-the-record admission from Rep Gowdy that he purposely lied and defamed Podliska, and a permanent injunction that bars Rep. Gowdy from repeating the lies.
Old Habits
Rep. Gowdy alleged Podliska “mishandled classified information.” Where have we heard this before? Oh, right…
When Rep. Gowdy admitted he doctored “evidence” to make Hillary Clinton look guilty.
Rep. Gowdy knew that he was lying when he said Podliska mishandled classified information, as another member admitted the statement was false, but still wanted Podliska to resign, according to Slate. Podliska says Rep. Gowdy did it to weaken the lawsuit he knew was coming, and weaken his credibility.
If true, it is the definition of retaliation and defamation.
It’s become painfully obvious that Rep. Gowdy and the rest of his Benghazi Committee minions’ obsession with Hillary Clinton is all that matters. It’s also become painfully obvious that they don’t care much about what actually happened in Benghazi that got four Americans killed – including the American Ambassador to Libya.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfIaauPoOO4]
Featured Image: Screenshot via CNN on YouTube.com
