Democrats say latest flap proves House Benghazi Committee is 'beyond repair'

The House Select Committee on Benghazi hasn't held a public hearing since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's marathon testimony in October, but that doesn't mean it has ceased operating. On Sunday, two senior Democrats on the committee, Reps. Elijah Cummings (Md.) and Adam Smith (Wash.), sent a letter to committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) accusing him of omitting exculpatory statements from the committee Republicans' lawyer when he attacked complaints from the Pentagon.

On April 28, Stephen C. Hedger, assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, complained that the Benghazi panel was sending a costly "crescendo" of duplicative and unnecessary records requests, including some based on claims from Facebook and talk radio. Gowdy responded with a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter saying Hedger's letter was "riddled with factual inaccuracies" and was "a disservice to the public."

In their letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Cummings and Smith said that Gowdy was ignoring statements by retired Army Lt. Gen. Dana Chipman, the panel GOP's chief counsel from August 2014 to January, which "repeatedly commended the military's actions on the night of the attacks during closed interviews with Defense Department officials," notably former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Panel Democrats have long called the committee a thinly veiled tool to harm Clinton, the probable Democratic presidential nominee. Cummings and Smith said Gowdy's narrow attacks on the Pentagon and repeated delays have now "damaged the credibility of the Select Committee beyond repair."

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Update 6:03 p.m.: Chipman and Gowdy released a joint statement to the press Monday. "I agree with Chairman Gowdy," Chipman said in the statement. "If some witnesses refer the committee to other witnesses, the responsible thing to do is interview them. The committee has an obligation to the American people to determine what can and cannot be substantiated, so if an individual makes public allegations about Benghazi, the committee should interview that person." For his part, Gowdy said that "General Chipman's contributions to the report and recommendations the committee will soon release have been invaluable."