After his controversial comments about the Benghazi committee, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Tuesday issued a new statement clarifying that the committee was formed to find the facts. His press release came after Hillary Clinton’s campaign released an ad Monday night slamming Republicans for using the investigation to attack her politically.
“The mission of the Select Committee on Benghazi is to find the truth — Period,” McCarthy said in the statement. “The integrity of Chairman Gowdy, the Committee and the work they’ve accomplished is beyond reproach. The serious questions Secretary Clinton faces are due entirely to her own decision to put classified information at risk and endanger our national security.”
In the ad released on Monday, Clinton’s campaign included McCarthy’s recent comments about the Benghazi committee’s political success.
“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?” he said on Fox News last week. “But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable [sic]. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen.”
After his comments, the majority leader and his Republican colleagues attempted to do damage control.
“It was never my intention to ever imply that this committee was political. Because we all know it is not. And it has one sole purpose, let’s find the truth wherever the truth takes us,” McCarthy said after his initial comments. “And you know what? Sometimes truth comes out, and other manners, and let’s not let politics hold that back.”
