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Press Releases

Statement by Susan Phalen, Communications Director, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

April 9, 2014                                                                                                     

Statement by Susan Phalen, Communications Director,

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

“The accusation that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers has a conflict of interest in the Benghazi investigation is patently false.  The Committee does not oversee the security of State Department facilities, such as the Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi.  That is the responsibility of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on which Rep. Mike Rogers does not sit.

“A simple inquiry to the Executive Branch, the company, or relevant investigators, would find that Aegis did not have a contract to provide security for the Temporary Mission Facility or the Annex in Benghazi.  Additionally, a simple Internet search could have determined that the House Intelligence Committee is not charged with investigating the adequacy of the security at the Benghazi compound.  As mentioned, security at U.S. diplomatic facilities such as the Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi falls within the jurisdiction of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. There was no conflict of interest.

“The House Intelligence Committee has held 19 Committee oversight events – more than any other committee - looking into the intelligence on Benghazi, the security at the Annex, the response during and after the attack and the CIA’s role in shaping the Obama Administration’s false narrative. The Committee held three hearings with CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell and has interviewed more eyewitnesses to the attack than any other committee.  And this committee led the drafting of a comprehensive Interim Progress Report issued last April and available here: http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Libya-Progress-Report-Final-1.pdf. This report lays out the entire timeline of the attack and the response to it.  The report has never been demonstrated by fact to be in error.  The full length of the House Intelligence Committee’s thorough Benghazi investigation can be found here: /benghazi-investigation

“Chairman Rogers led a three hour grilling of Michael Morell last week in an open hearing.  His questions can be found here starting at 25:00: http://www.c-span.org/video/?318648-1/benghazi-obama-administration and his hard-hitting opening statement can be found here: /sites/intelligence.house.gov/files/documents/04022014ChairOpeningStatement.pdf

“Unfortunately, the truth doesn’t stop those in need of promoting themselves for profit.  Hopefully, readers will educate themselves on the facts and disregard personal and baseless allegations.”

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