Conservatives Want Head Of House Benghazi Probe To Run For Majority Leader

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., grills Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen as he testifies before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers continue their probe of whether tea party groups were improperly t... Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., grills Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen as he testifies before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers continue their probe of whether tea party groups were improperly targeted for increased scrutiny by the IRS, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, June 23, 2014. The IRS asserts it can't produce emails from seven officials connected to the tea party investigation because of computer crashes, including the emails from Lois Lerner, the former IRS official at the center of the investigation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Some conservatives in Congress said on Tuesday they want Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), the man leading the special House investigation into the Benghazi terror attacks, to run for majority leader.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who helped investigate the attacks as part of the House oversight committee, told Fox News on Tuesday morning that he would love to see Gowdy run for the position.

“Trey Gowdy as majority leader would be heaven-sent,” Chaffetz said, according to Politico.

“I think one of the great things that needs to happen is bringing in Trey Gowdy,” Chaffetz told Fox. “I think that the Republican Conference needs somebody who can unite the body and represent us far and wide and articulate the message… Trey Gowdy is the best person, and having spoken to him, I actually think he’ll do it.”

Gowdy was chosen last year to lead a special House investigative committee into the Benghazi attacks. The panel discovered former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used a private email server during her time in office, an issue Republicans have used to attack her presidential campaign.

A spokeswoman for Gowdy brushed off the calls for him to run, although she stopped short of dismissing them completely.

“Chairman Gowdy is focused on the Benghazi Committee and will serve in that capacity so long as the Committee exists,” the spokeswoman said, according to the Daily Caller. “He appreciates the confidence of his colleagues and looks forward to tonight’s Conference discussion.”

However, according to fellow South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R), Gowdy is “OUT” of consideration for leadership.

Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) also voiced her support for Gowdy for majority leader on Tuesday.

And Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) released a statement Tuesday in support of Gowdy.

Since being sworn into Congress this past January, I have gotten to know Congressman Trey Gowdy well, and have experienced firsthand how he is an effective leader with tremendous intellect, moral character, charisma, vision and heart. The Republican Party, but more importantly, our country, would be remarkably well served with Trey as Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Trey is a talented and incredibly bright fighter who will move our country in a better direction. If Congressman Gowdy chooses to run for leader, he has my full support.

The post became available as Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced his candidacy for Speaker of the House.

This comes as a handful of prominent House Republicans said Monday they will back Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) for House majority leader.

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Notable Replies

  1. Republicans want a man who represents their fine Aryan conservative heritage.

  2. If only they cared so much about the people they were elected to represent as they do about their cronies and lobbyists.

  3. There does seem to be a certain appropriateness. Gowdy has the shifty eyes, narrow skull, pinched features, and lank hair of a movie villain who denounces his best friend to the totalitarian authorities in return for a bag of money because there’s nothing in the world he really cares about, he’s just an empty, soulless shell. Should represent today’s GOP perfectly.

  4. It’ll only be temporarily. Trump has him lined up to be his Department of Law Czar.

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