Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton testifies before the Select Committee on Benghazi in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2015. Monday, Democrats on the panel released their own report on the committee's findings, which defended Clinton's handling of the matter. Photo by Molly Riley/UPI |
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WASHINGTON, June 27 (UPI) -- A group of Democratic lawmakers on Monday decided to strike first regarding a committee's findings in an investigation into the Benghazi attack four years ago.
The Benghazi Select Committee was formed two years ago to look into the attack that killed four Americans in September 2012. The panel is set to release its findings this week, but frustrated that the Republican-majority committee will not allow them to voice their opinions, the minority Democrats issued their own report.
The committee's Democratic members say they feel it's important that both sides of the aisle have a voice in the findings.
The Benghazi attack has been a point of debate, particularly concerning Hillary Clinton, who served as Secretary of State at the time of the attack. Democrats on the committee are concerned that the Republicans' findings might harm her presidential campaign.
Monday's report defended Clinton's handling of the matter.
One criticism has been that the Department of State was less than forthcoming about some of the details of the attack.
"Administration officials did not make intentionally misleading statements about the attacks, but instead relied on information they were provided at the time under fast-moving circumstances," the report reads.
The Democrats' report criticizes Republicans on the panel for taking two years to issue a report, saying time and resources were wasted for political reasons and that Democrats in the group were sometimes ignored.
Other investigations into the attack failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing by administration officials.
The Republicans' report will be released this week, possibly Tuesday.
