Beset by a series of controversies over her email, the Clinton Foundation’s fundraising efforts and her own speaking fees, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to limit her exposure to a special House committee investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya.
At a time when her public approval rating is slipping, Clinton’s lawyer, David Kendall, informed the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Monday that it would have just one chance to grill her regarding concerns about lax security before the fiery attacks that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher J. Stevens.
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Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), the chair of the select committee, has requested that Clinton appear twice before his panel. The first session would explore Clinton’s use of a private email account and server while she was Secretary of State to ensure that his committee has all relevant documents. The second session would be to question Clinton about her conduct before and after the terrorist attacks in Libya.
Kendall said in a letter that Clinton “has been and remains ready and willing” to testify in public, but that a session on her emailing practices while at State has “no basis, logic or precedent.” He added that Clinton is ready to stay as long as necessary to answer committee members’ questions, “but will not prolong the committee’s efforts further by appearing on two separate occasions when one will suffice.”
Some Democrats have said that Clinton has been willing to testify before the Benghazi Select Committee for months, but that Gowdy has delayed her appearance for maximum impact on her expected presidential campaign. “I fear that they’re trying to run the clock to push this further into the presidential cycle,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California told CNN.
The once-sputtering probe of Clinton’s response to the terrorist attack got an important boost last week when the State Department handed over 4,000 pages of new documents and emails. "Contrary to those who said all had been asked and answered, the Benghazi Committee has shown there is more still for Congress to consider,” Gowdy said at the time.
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Clinton is not under subpoena to appear, but Gowdy and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) have signaled a willingness to go to the mat with Clinton and her lawyer if necessary to get a full accounting of the available documents and detailed testimony from Clinton about her role in the tragedy.
Clinton testified about Benghazi on Capitol Hill once before. In January, 2013, she made back-to-back appearances before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In all, she spent five and a half hours fielding questions. At one point, an emotional Clinton’s voice cracked as she spoke about Stevens and the safety of American diplomats.
More recently, Clinton’s image as a leader and presidential candidate has taken a hit amid mounting controversies over her family’s foundation, the fact that she destroyed tens of thousands of email messages from her tenure at State and lingering suspicions about her role in the Benghazi attacks. A new poll by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News found that Clinton’s favorable/unfavorable rating among all adults stands at 42 percent/42 percent – down from 44 percent positive and 36 percent negative in March. On being honest and straightforward, Clinton’s numbers dropped to 25 percent.
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On the positive side, Clinton leads the top-tier Republican presidential candidates in hypothetical general-election match-ups, according to the poll. And the former First Lady and U.S. senator is the only 2016 candidate the poll tested who isn’t saddled with a negative favorable/unfavorable rating.
“Yes, there are challenges with the Clinton name,” said Democratic pollster Fred Yang, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “But she remains a uniquely formidable candidate.”
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