House Democrats weigh role in new Benghazi probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats remain divided over whether to participate in a new Republican-led investigation on the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, with many Democrats maintaining the inquiry will be a partisan political spectacle.

House Democratic Minority leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Friday the select committee Republicans have set up is a "political stunt," but she says she's still negotiating with Republican Speaker John Boehner on the parameters of the probe and Democratic involvement.

Democratic Party leaders huddled with rank and file in a closed-door session to decide whether to take part in the eighth investigation of the Sept. 11, 2012 assault, or whether they should boycott the proceedings.

Republicans the day before rammed through a resolution creating a special select committee to examine the Sept. 11, 2012, assault, which killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Republicans are focusing on the issue as congressional elections loom in November and as former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton weighs a run for president in 2016. Among other allegations, Republicans say the Obama administration misled the American people about the nature of the attack during a presidential election campaign and stonewalled congressional investigators.

Democrats say the Benghazi inquiry is a political ploy designed to energize Republican voters ahead of the elections, when a fierce battle for control of the Senate will play out. But the Democrats are split over their involvement in the work of the committee, which will have a 7-5 Republican edge in membership.

"If there is going to be a true bipartisan inquiry, we'll participate," Rep. Steve Israel, a New York Democrat told reporters following the meeting. "If it's engineered to be a Republican campaign strategy, it's much harder for us to participate."

In the 20 months since the attack, multiple independent, bipartisan and Republican-led probes already have faulted the State Department for inadequate security at the diplomatic outpost, leading to four demotions. No attacker has yet been brought to justice.

Republicans say they're unsatisfied with explanations so far.

Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen criticized the "song and dance" she said came from Clinton when House members wanted to question her about Benghazi a few months after the attack. Clinton's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee was delayed when she missed a month of work toward the end of her tenure after suffering a virus, then a fall and a concussion, and then brief hospitalization for a blood clot near her brain.

The vote Thursday to create the special committee was 232-186. Seven Democrats, many of whom face tough re-elections in November, broke ranks and joined the Republican majority.

The panel's investigation will be the eighth on Benghazi and means high-profile hearings in the months leading up to the elections, with Republicans grilling current and former Obama administration officials. Clinton is certain to be called to testify.

Democrats are concerned that their participation in the committee, which will have a 7-5 Republican edge in membership, would grant legitimacy to what they believe will be a partisan forum. But they also worry that if they avoid it they won't have the chance to counter Republican claims and defend potential witnesses.

House Democrats have issued several demands if they are to participate in the select committee. Rebuffed on their request for an equal split in membership, Democrats are seeking guarantees they'll have equal access to documents, say on subpoenas and the right to question witnesses. Staff level negotiations have continued.

Israel said that Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had made several calls to Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday that went unanswered.

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said the sentiment in the caucus was shifting away from a boycott in favor of participating, but Democrats wanted to know the "rules of engagement" first.

A member of the Democratic leadership, Rep. Jim Clyburn, expressed his concerns about participating, saying, "if you're going to have a hanging don't ask me to bring the noose."

Benghazi has produced 13 public hearings, the release of 25,000 pages of documents and 50 separate briefings. The select committee won't be the only inquiry, as other Republican-led congressional panels continue their investigations, including a House Oversight probe which just last week took the extraordinary step of subpoenaing a Cabinet member, Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry hasn't said when he might testify.