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.”
A lawyer for Clinton, meanwhile, said Wednesday that Clinton is prepared to publicly answer questions regarding the Benghazi attacks and her email use as soon as possible.
“There is no reason to delay her appearance or to have her testify in a private interview,” lawyer David Kendall said in a letter to Gowdy. Gowdy has previously said he wants to interview Clinton twice – once in private and once at a public hearing.