WASHINGTON (AP) – A Republican-led committee investigating the 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role, is signaling that its final report could slip to just months before the presidential election if the Obama administration delays producing documents and witnesses.
A spokesman for Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, chairman of the Benghazi panel, said Wednesday that Gowdy still hopes to complete the committee’s work by the end of this year, but said factors “we don’t control” could delay the report, including a lack of responsiveness by the administration.
Gowdy “wants this done by the end of the year,” spokesman Jamal Ware said, but factors including witness availability, compliance with document requests and security clearances “could continue to impact the timing of the inquiry’s conclusion.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Wednesday the administration is not cooperating with the Benghazi panel, making it difficult for the committee to gather all the facts.
The House panel could do its job “a whole lot quicker” if the administration and Clinton would cooperate more than they have so far, Boehner told reporters.