STRATEGIC MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Trey Gowdy’s Bad Week
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Isaac Wright, Executive Director, Correct The Record
DATE: Friday, March 13, 2015
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Trey Gowdy used his position as Chair of the Benghazi Select House Committee to create a pseudo-political media spotlight for himself, but after this week he has to be wondering if the effort backfired.
Gowdy tried to reclaim his previous spotlight by making grandiose but empty gestures, only to be foiled by the facts at every turn. Gowdy was challenged to match his walk with his talk, but when the spotlight did turn to Gowdy, it only illuminated his hypocrisies.
Gowdy attempted to legitimize himself after taking the helm of the Select Committee months ago by pretending it was something other than the partisan charade it appeared. Gowdy made comments like, “I want this [committee] to transcend politics.” And, “The facts are neither Republican nor Democrat.” [Fox News, 5/11/14]
As Gowdy and his committee’s relevance waned, the South Carolina Congressman began grasping at straws to again take center stage in partisan theatrics. After all, digging into all of Clinton’s emails, while his staff continues with the Benghazi-specific investigation, gives Gowdy a chance “to transform his own political future” in his own mind. [Politico, 3/11/15]
Gowdy – Foiled By The Facts At Every Turn
- Gowdy attempted to chastise Clinton over transparency, but Gowdy didn’t want the Benghazi emails made public, Democrats on the Select Committee did. The State Department even announced it would rush the release of 900 pages of Benghazi emails turned over to the committee.
- Gowdy issued subpoenas after he discovered what he believed was proof that Clinton used multiple email accounts at State. Clinton’s office explained to Gowdy his “confusion” and that as was widely reported previously, Clinton had switched email address after she left the State Department.
Gowdy – Lacks The Guts To Walk The Talk
- Gowdy talks a big game, calling on Secretary Clinton to turn over all of her emails – personal and private. But when challenged to do the same with his email, Gowdy lacked the guts to back up his big talk. On Wednesday, David Brock challenged Gowdy in an open letter, featured on MSNBC:
- “But since you insist that Clinton’s private email be accessed, I’m writing today to ask you and your staff to abide by the same standard you seek to hold the Secretary to by releasing your own work-related and private email and that of your staff to the public.” [Brock Letter To Gowdy, 3/11/15]
- Gowdy refused to respond or admit his own double standard, in turn leading my organization, Correct The Record, to launch a new online presence treygowdys.email, measuring how long until Gowdy will either meet his own standard or admit to his double standard.
Gowdy – Reclaiming The Spotlight Only To Illuminate His Own Hypocrisy
- Perhaps it was a genuine blunder by his staff. Perhaps his hubris made Trey Gowdy think he could do it without anyone noticing. The Palmetto State peddler of partisan drama was booked as the keynote speaker at a Republican fundraiser called “Beyond Benghazi” until publicly reminded of his pledge not to raise money from his Benghazi politicking. Then Gowdy backed out of his appearance.
- It was in the news again this week that even though the ranking Democrat on the Select Committee had informed Gowdy months ago that Hillary Clinton was ready to testify, Gowdy was dragging his feet. Rep. Cummings, the ranking Democrat, called on Gowdy to follow through on his original commitment to hold a hearing with Secretary Clinton within 30 days.
As noted this week in Salon, “The House Benghazi Committee is now turning into the Trey Gowdy vs. Hillary Clinton show.” Gowdy is “making the Clinton hunt his personal project.” Furthermore, Gowdy is “getting pretty far afield from the committee’s mandate.” Gowdy’s desire to investigate every aspect of Clinton’s email is “starting to look like a classic case of mission creep.”
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BACKGROUND
Gowdy doesn’t want Benghazi emails to be made public; Dems do. “He did say, however, that he will not release any of the emails from his investigation because ‘it’s frankly not fair to the secretary….or my fellow citizens to selectively release information.’ The five Democrats on the Benghazi committee disagree, however, and say the emails should be made public. ‘Allowing these emails to be made public will help clear up any misperceptions and will also help return the Committee to its original purpose, investigating the tragic events in Benghazi, rather than allowing it to become a surrogate for the Republican National Committee,’ they said in a statement.” [CBS News, 3/8/15]
The State Department announced its intention to speed release of about 900 pages of Benghazi-related e-mails. “Under pressure to move quickly on the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails, the State Department intends to speed release about 900 pages of Benghazi-related e-mails sent by the former Secretary of State on her private e-mail account, officials said Tuesday. Democrats on the House Select Committee on Benghazi sent the State Department a letter Tuesday asking the agency to prioritize disclosure of the set of Clinton e-mails sent to the panel last month, but a State Department spokeswoman said later that an early release of those records was already under discussion and would go forward. ‘Those will be reviewed and released prior to the completion of the entire set,’ State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. She said she could not offer an estimate of when the approximately 300 Libya-related messages will be disclosed.” [“Some Hillary Clinton emails set for speedy release,” Politico, 3/10/15]
Gowdy threatened subpoenas after discovering what he believed was proof that Clinton used multiple email accounts at State. Clinton’s office later explained to Gowdy his “confusion” and that, as was reported previously, Clinton had switched email address after she left the State Department. “The House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi issued a subpoena last night for email communications on the former secretary of state’s controversial clintonemail.com server related to the attack…. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf disputed Gowdy’s claim that Clinton used multiple personal email accounts as well as his claim that it was his committee that uncovered the private email use. ‘There was just one email account,’ Harf said, noting that Clinton has turned over an estimated 55,000 emails to the State Department. ‘In fact, the account’s existence had been known publicly since March 2013 when it was reported on. It was not prohibited at the time. It is not prohibited now.’ But Benghazi committee spokesman Jamal D. Ware last night stood by the committee chair’s claim. ‘The Select Committee on Benghazi is in possession of records with two separate and distinct email addresses used by former Secretary Clinton and dated during the time she was Secretary of State,’ Ware said in a statement. ‘As Chairman Gowdy has noted, this is why former Secretary Clinton’s exclusive use of personal emails to conduct official U.S. government business is so problematic and raises significant issues for transparency.’” [Politico, 3/3/15]
Clinton’s office corrected Gowdy’s “honest misunderstanding” of Hillary Clinton’s email accounts. “In fairness to the Committee, this was an honest misunderstanding. Secretary Clinton used one email account during her tenure at State (with the exception of her first weeks in office while transitioning from an email account she had previously used). In March 2013, a month after she left the Department, Gawker published the email address she used while Secretary, and so she had to change the address on her account. At the time the printed copies were provided to the Department last year, because it was the same account, the new email address established after she left office appeared on the printed copies as the sender, and not the address she used as Secretary. In fact, this address on the account did not exist until March 2013. This led to understandable confusion that was cleared up directly with the Committee after its press conference.” [“Statement from the office of Hillary Rodham Clinton,” 3/10/15]
Gowdy was slated to fundraise at “Beyond Benghazi” event; later canceled. “The chairman of a House committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, canceled an appearance at a GOP fundraiser Monday after learning the event would feature discussion of the Benghazi attacks. A spokesman for GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina said Gowdy was unaware that organizers of the March 19 event in Richmond, Virginia, intended to feature or even mention Benghazi. Gowdy ‘has not raised money using Benghazi and will not speak about Benghazi at fundraising events,’ spokesman Jamal Ware said. ‘Having been made aware of this group’s plan, he no longer will be participating in the event.’ The Republican Party of Virginia said late Monday it has canceled the $75-per-ticket fundraiser following Gowdy’s withdrawal. The event, titled ‘Beyond Benghazi,’ was to be held at the Richmond Convention Center. Donors had been offered the chance to pay $5,000 to serve as an event co-chair.” [Associated Press, 3/9/15]
Clinton is willing to testify, Gowdy is dragging his feet. “The top-ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), said in January that Clinton told him she was willing to appear before the committee as early as last fall. Gowdy has said he is putting off her appearance until the committee receives answers to its standing subpoena requests from the Obama administration and until he is confident Clinton has made available any documents related to Libya and Benghazi.” [Politico, 3/10/15]
Rep. Cummings called on Gowdy to follow through on his original commitment to hold a hearing with Secretary Clinton within 30 days. “Follow through on your commitment to hold a hearing with Secretary Clinton within 30 days, at which point Members can ask her—under oath—whether she has produced all documents responsive to the Committee’s request.” [Rep. Cummings letter to Chairman Gowdy, 3/6/15]