Issa Tells CIA: Plan for Massive Benghazi Probe
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
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Escalating his investigation of the deadly terrorist attack on the U.S.
Consulate in Benghazi last year, Rep. Darrell Issa warned CIA and other
government officials Wednesday to lawyer-up in preparation for a massive
probe.
The California Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee sent letters Wednesday suggesting that some witnesses
lawyer up before being called to testify,
The Hill reported. He also suggested that some witnesses should be
prepared for retaliation from their employer, depending on their responses.
“Some witnesses may be required to retain personal counsel to represent them
before the committee and in the event the agency subsequently retaliates
against them for cooperating with the committee’s investigation,” the
California Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee said in separate letters to the CIA, State Department, and
Pentagon.
Issa said some witnesses have already been cooperating with the
investigation into the attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and
three other Americans on Sept. 11, 2012, the Hill reported.
“During the course of the investigation, numerous individuals have approached
the committee with information related to the attack,” he wrote in the letters.
Issa asked the agencies to provide details on how to grant outside attorneys the
security clearances necessary for them to adequately represent employees who
discuss classified matters with congressional investigators.
Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra also told Newsmax
Thursday that whistleblowers may have access to classified information and may
need a lawyer to ensure that they comply with the rules, regulations, and legal
requirements to protect themselves.
“There are multiple whistleblowers who want to get the story out,” Hoekstra
said. “All of these people are very concerned that they do everything
appropriately.”
“These whistleblowers still feel that there’s a gap between what’s in the public
domain and what really happened,” Hoekstra continued. “They’ve all been
frustrated.”
The move comes as more than 100 rank-and-file Republicans have increased their
pressure on House Speaker John Boehner to create a 19-member select committee to
look into the attack.
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