WASHINGTON (MEDIA GENERAL/AP) – Facing seven Republicans and five Democrats investigating the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, Hillary Clinton testified about the events leading up to the deadly rampage which killed four Americans while she was serving as Secretary of State.
Seated before dozens of cameras, her own staff, and at times a hostile committee, Clinton discussed about the security procedures in place before and during the attack on September 11th, 2012.
“We need leadership at home to match our leadership abroad, leadership that puts national security ahead of politics and ideology,” Clinton said in her opening remarks, the closest she came to directly rebuking her GOP investigators. The committee investigating the Benghazi attack has faced serious questions of legitimacy from members of Congress who’ve determined the committee is focused on more partisanship than fact checking.
Republicans on the committee, including Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas) have instead promised the Benghazi committee will be focused on holding the State Department accountable.
Clinton’s testimony is expected to last throughout most of Thursday afternoon. The committee has stressed they don’t expect to release a final report for several more months.
“I followed the law, that was my responsibility,” said Clinton during a somewhat abrasive exchange with Rep. Pompeo over her response to the failures to protect Americans on the ground.
