On leaking information
Gowdy: “Serious investigations do not leak information.” “So while tremendous progress has been made, both in the quantity and quality of transcribed interviews, those interviews must remain private until such time as a final report has been written in fairness to both the conduct of a proper investigation and to all relevant parties. I have made this a fundamental principle for the Committee and its staff because serious investigations do not leak information or make selective releases of information without full and proper context.” [Gowdy’s “Interim Progress Update,” 5/8/15]
Gowdy leaked news of Blumenthal subpoena before it was served. “These latest moves by the Benghazi Committee—issuing a subpoena without first contacting the witness, leaking news of the subpoena before it was served, and not holding any Committee debate or vote—are straight out the partisan playbook of discredited Republican investigations.” [“Cummings Statement on Leaked Plan to Issue Unilateral Subpoena,” 5/18/15]
In March, GOP leaked information about a subpoena before informing Democratic Members. “Issuing this subpoena unilaterally with no deliberation by Committee Members, leaking information about the subpoena before informing Democratic Members, and providing inaccurate information at a press conference all contribute to a perception that this Committee is now targeting Secretary Clinton for political reasons rather than to clarify any remaining facts relating to the attacks in Benghazi.” [Letter to Chairman Gowdy, 3/6/15]
On Clinton’s Private Interview
Chairman Gowdy argued there was no alternative to a private interview with Secretary Clinton to discuss her emails. “Gowdy, a Republican, says the move is necessary because Clinton declined the committee’s request to turn her personal email server over to the State Department’s Inspector General for review. ‘Because of the Secretary’s unique arrangement with herself as it relates to public records during and after her tenure as Secretary of State, this Committee is left with no alternative but to request Secretary Clinton appear before this Committee for a transcribed interview to better understand decisions the Secretary made relevant to the creation, maintenance, retention, and ultimately deletion of public records,’ he wrote. A transcribed interview, he added, ‘would best protect Secretary Clinton’s privacy, the security of the information queried, and the public’s interest in ensuring this Committee has all information needed to accomplish the task set before it.’” [NBC News, 3/31/15]
In a departure from his previous statement, Chairman Gowdy asked Secretary Clinton to appear at two public hearings to discuss her email and Benghazi. “The House Committee investigating Benghazi is asking Hillary Clinton to appear for two public hearings on the 2012 terrorist attacks and her email use, according to a letter sent to her lawyer on Thursday. This is a departure from what Benghazi Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy originally requested from the former secretary of state. The South Carolina Republican wanted a private, transcribed interview on Clinton’s email use and a public hearing on the terrorist attacks.” [Politico, 4/23/15]
On Calling Investigation a Trial
Gowdy referred to the Benghazi committee as “a trial.” “Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican in charge of the newly formed House select committee on Benghazi, is off to a rough start. The day after he was tapped to lead the committee, Gowdy went on ‘Morning Joe’ and started talking about his forthcoming investigation as if he were taking the Obama White House to court. ‘If an administration is slow-walking document production,’ Gowdy said, ‘I can’t end a trial simply because the defense won’t cooperate.’ Gowdy is a former federal prosecutor (a fact he won’t let you not know), and to observers it looked like he intended to treat the administration as a defendant accused of a criminal act. Asked about his remark on Fox News Sunday yesterday, Gowdy explained to Chris Wallace that he – as a former federal prosecutor – was just speaking in metaphors informed by experience (as a former federal prosecutor).” [Salon, 5/12/14, MSNBC, 5/7/14]
Gowdy: “I spoke in trial metaphors and perhaps I need to get out of that habit.” “GOWDY: If the administration is slow-walking document production, I can’t end the trial simply because the defense won’t cooperate. (END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Congressman, do you see this investigation as a trial? And do you see the White House as the defense? GOWDY: No, sir, and I would hasten that — first of all, happy Mother’s Day you to and Mr. Becerra. I would also hasten to add that trials are both criminal and civil for 16 years I spoke in trial metaphors and perhaps I need to get out of that habit. What I simply meant is, when you ask me how long something’s going to last, I need to know how cooperative the other side is going to be. So, to the extent that I said any indication to anyone that I view someone as the defense, what I meant by that is if you can tell me how cooperative the other side is going to be, I can give you a better idea of how long something’s going to last.” [Fox News, 5/11/14]
On subpoenaing witnesses
Gowdy called serving a subpoena “a little heavy handed.” Gowdy said “it just seems a little heavy-handed, to slap a subpoena on a former cabinet-level official, regardless of which party. If they are willing to come, then work with them on the date.” [Gowdy interview, WYFF, 4/8/15]
Gowdy subpoenaed Sidney Blumenthal. “Now, as Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks on her second presidential bid, Mr. Blumenthal’s service to the Clintons is again under the spotlight. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, a Republican who is leading the congressional committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, plans to subpoena Mr. Blumenthal, 66, for a private transcribed interview.” [New York Times, 5/19/15]
- Gowdy leaked news of Blumenthal subpoena before it was served. “These latest moves by the Benghazi Committee—issuing a subpoena without first contacting the witness, leaking news of the subpoena before it was served, and not holding any Committee debate or vote—are straight out the partisan playbook of discredited Republican investigations.” [“Cummings Statement on Leaked Plan to Issue Unilateral Subpoena,” 5/18/15]
The Benghazi Select Committee issued subpoenas for Secretary Clinton’s emails. “Select Committee on Benghazi Communications Director Jamal D. Ware issued the following statement regarding the issuance of a subpoena for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails: ‘The Select Committee on Benghazi today issued subpoenas for all communications of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton related to Libya and to the State Department for other individuals who have information pertinent to the investigation. The Committee also has issued preservation letters to internet firms informing them of their legal obligation to protect all relevant documents.’” [Statement from the Communications Director on Subpoena Issuance, 3/4/15]
The Benghazi Select Committee subpoenaed emails of “close to a dozen” of Sec. Clinton’s aides. “Congress has subpoenaed nearly a dozen State Department workers from Hillary Clinton’s time as secretary of state. Rep. Trey Gowdy revealed emails of ‘close to a dozen’ aides and possibly ‘aides to aides’ have had their emails subpoenaed by the Benghazi Select Committee, as it continues its investigation into the 2012 Benghazi attacks. ‘We sent a subpoena to the State Department for emails from a number of individuals within the State Department, other than Secretary Clinton,’ Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican who chairs the committee, told Reuters in an interview Thursday.” [Washington Examiner, 3/20/15]
On Monthly Hearings
Chairman Gowdy pledged to hold “hearings in January, February, and March and until” all questions are answered. “Gowdy, a former prosecutor, maintained a low profile for months, holding only one public hearing in September before Wednesday’s meeting. But the South Carolina Republican outlined a more ambitious agenda for 2015. ‘We are going to keep asking questions,’ Gowdy said. ‘And to that end, we will have hearings in January, in February, and March and until. This committee will be the last best hope for answering the questions surrounding the attacks in Benghazi.’” [Roll Call, 12/10/14]
Rep. Cummings: “The Select Committee has not had a hearing in three months.” “The Select Committee has not had a hearing in three months, despite Chairman Gowdy’s assertion in December that there would be hearings in January, February, and March.” [Cummings Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Benghazi Committee: ‘What Have We Accomplished?,’ 5/7/15]
On Fundraising off of Benghazi
Chairman Gowdy: “I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans.” “Appearing on ‘Morning Joe,’ the South Carolina Republican was asked by co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski whether he would ask members of the GOP not to ask supporters for campaign cash by appealing to the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. ‘Yes, and I will cite myself as an example,’ Gowdy said. ‘I have never sought to raise a single penny on the backs of four murdered Americans.’ Gowdy, in a similar statement to one he made on Fox News on Tuesday, said the Benghazi investigation should remain above the political fray.” [Politico, 5/7/15]
At a barbecue fundraiser for Rep. Mick Mulvaney, Chairman Gowdy directly addressed Benghazi. “Gowdy addressed the issue of ‘phony scandals,’ in which the government is describing the scandals surrounding the IRS and NSA as fake, or phony. Referring to the scandal surrounding the murders of four American citizens in the Benghazi attacks, Gowdy said this is not the case. ‘It is a scandal,’ he said. ‘But it is not a phony scandal.’ Gowdy said these scandals begin to chip away at the public’s trust in their government. ‘There is nothing phony about (citizens) not trusting the people they put in positions of leadership,’ he said. Gowdy urged readers to hold their representatives accountable.” [Lancaster News, 9/1/13]
Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy planned to appear at a Virginia GOP fundraiser titled “Beyond Benghazi.” “Gowdy is scheduled to be the featured guest at a fundraising event March 19 for the Republican Party of Virginia, entitled, ‘Beyond Benghazi,’ featuring a screening and an interview of Gowdy, moderated by Rep. Morgan Griffith. The RPV is charging $75 but for $5,000, a donor can be a co-chair.” [National Review, 3/9/15]
Stop Hillary PAC used Chairman Gowdy’s picture and name to encouraged backers sign a pledge supporting the Select Committee. “Support Trey Gowdy & Continue the Select Committee on Benghazi. I support and uphold the Benghazi Select Committee Chairman, Congressman Trey Gowdy, in his pursuit of the truth and justice for all those involved.” [Stop Hillary PAC advertisement, stophillarypac.org, accessed 4/30/15]
On Completing the Investigation
Gowdy said the Benghazi investigation should be completed by 2015. “The attack on the compound in Benghazi, which took the life of a United States ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, has outraged the Republican Party’s most conservative voters. But Mr. Gowdy’s methodical, under-the-radar approach has offered up little for partisans to seize upon, at least for now. He said the investigation should be complete by the end of 2015, ‘assuming cooperation from agencies, witnesses and the administration.’ Mr. Gowdy added, ‘I say ‘should’ because we cannot predict what witnesses will say, what documents may be produced, and whether either will lead to additional lines of appropriate inquiry.’ He added, ‘Just as I did not sign up for nor have any interest in a political investigation, likewise I have no interest in half measures, partial productions or a lack of access to witnesses with relevant information.’” [New York Times, 9/28/14]
Gowdy’s spokesperson: the Benghazi investigation will stretch into the months just before the 2016 election. “The findings of a Republican-led committee investigating Hillary Clinton’s response to the deadly 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, likely will not be released until next year, just months before the 2016 presidential election. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi, has been emphasizing a desire for the panel to finish investigative work by the end of 2015, including its review of Clinton’s e-mail practices as secretary of state. Now that seems less likely. In a statement on Tuesday to Bloomberg News, committee spokesman Jamal Ware confirmed the delay. ‘Factors beyond the committee’s control, including witness availability, compliance with documents requests, the granting of security clearances and accreditations—all of which are controlled by the Executive branch—could continue to impact the timing of the inquiry’s conclusion,’ Ware wrote.” [Bloomberg, 4/22/15]
On his power to seize personal property
Gowdy: “I have to have all the documents. If that means sending legal recourse to the secretary herself, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” “BLITZER: Will you subpoena all those documents from her private e- mail account, assuming the 55,000 pages are not everything? And they might be everything as far as we know. We don’t know, right? GOWDY: Well, we’re going to use every bit of legal recourse at our disposal to make sure — if you look at the resolution that says ‘all policies, all activities, all decisions,’ and the word ‘all’ is a big word. If I’m going to be able to do what my colleague ask me to do, I have to have all the documents. If that means sending legal recourse to the secretary herself, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” [CNN, 3/4/15]
Gowdy: “There really is no argument that our committee has the subpoena power to seize personal property.” “Ultimately, says Gowdy, he may be able to do nothing more than to report that Clinton might be guilty of ‘spoliation of evidence’ — suggesting, but not asserting, that she destroyed documents unfavorable to her. ‘I am limited under the rules under which our committee was formed. And the rules make it really clear what we have the power to do and what we don’t … There really is no argument that our committee has the subpoena power to seize personal property. It is an open constitutional question as to whether the House as whole has it,’ he says.” [Politico Magazine, 3/12/15]
On Clinton’s role
Gowdy: “Secretary Clinton alone created this predicament, but she alone does not get to determine its outcome.” “Without access to Secretary Clinton’s personal server, there is no way for the State Department to know it has acquired all documents that should be made public, and given State’s delay in disclosing the fact Secretary Clinton exclusively used personal email to conduct State business, there is no way to accept State’s or Secretary Clinton’s certification she has turned over all documents that rightfully belong to the American people. That is why I see no choice but for Secretary Clinton to turn her server over to a neutral, detached third-party arbiter who can determine which documents should be public and which should remain private. Secretary Clinton alone created this predicament, but she alone does not get to determine its outcome. These public records at issue are broader than Libya and broader than Benghazi. The Secretary of State has enormous responsibility and jurisdiction and the public, the media and Congress have a legal right to access these public records without impediment.” [Gowdy Statement, 3/10/15]
Gowdy: “She is by no means the central focus of our inquiry.” “‘She really is going to be, I don’t want to say a small part — I don’t know — but she is by no means the central focus of our inquiry. … John Boehner didn’t even mention her name when he asked me to do this. There are a million other things to pursue with respect to Benghazi other than Secretary Clinton.’” [Politico Magazine, 3/12/15]
On the scope of the committee
Politico: Gowdy signaled that he intended to broaden his probe beyond the Benghazi attacks. “Gowdy signaled in his statement that he intended to broaden his probe beyond the Benghazi attacks. ‘Secretary Clinton alone created this predicament, but she alone does not get to determine its outcome. These public records at issue are broader than Libya and broader than Benghazi,’ he said.” [Politico, 3/10/15]
Gowdy said he would be comfortable with a committee other than the Benghazi committee investigating Sec. Clinton’s email use at the State Department. “Gowdy has already suggested that any probe into Clinton’s private email trove might be better left to another committee, such as the House Intelligence panel or Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s Government Oversight committee (on which Gowdy also serves). ‘I would be more than content if the speaker in his judgment concluded that other committees have equities there,’ he says.” [Politico Magazine, 3/12/15]