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Editor's note: The following is an opinion piece from one of Utah's congressional representatives. This article is intended to provide our readers with a better understanding of the positions and decisions of this state representative. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of ksl.com, its management or ownership.SALT LAKE CITY — What difference, at this point, does Benghazi make? That question, asked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Congressional hearings on Benghazi last January has taken on new relevance in light of a trio of emerging scandals.
Last week's poignant testimony from high ranking State Department witnesses was the tip of what has become a very large iceberg threatening to undermine the integrity of this administration.
As new scandals have emerged, old questions have persisted and been reinforced by credible firsthand accounts that sharply contradict those given in the aftermath of the attack.
Did our State Department really refuse repeated requests to beef up security before the attack? Did the Administration mislead the American people in the days following the attack?
Despite testimony affirming these questions, the Obama White House has dismissed the whole scandal as a "political side show." Prior to the hearings, we heard from the White House that Benghazi was "a long time ago" — as if there is some sort of statute of limitations on the truth.
Ask one of the thousands of State Department employees who work at one of the hundreds of US embassies and consulates around the world if they think their security is still a relevant issue.
Ask one of the thousands of State Department employees who work at one of the hundreds of US embassies and consulates around the world if they think their security is still a relevant issue. Ask the families of victims who died in those attacks if their motives are partisan. Ask the Americans who survived the attack how they feel about the response to the terrorist attack.
Except you can't ask them. The government's refusal to provide adequate security before the attack or to provide available resources during the attack is the failure to provide answers after the attack. What don't they want the American people to know?
Eight months after our own ambassador was murdered and we were told the cause was an online video, we still can't get a straight answer out of the Obama Administration.
Repeated attempts by Congress to request the identities of the witnesses were long ignored. Relevant documents — even unclassified ones — were withheld or subject to in camera review. The State Department dragged its feet in providing a process by which brave witnesses could legally consult with attorneys. The name of a hospitalized attack survivor was changed by the State Department. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has continued to defend the now-debunked talking points used by Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice on five Sunday talk shows in the days following the attack.
Related:
Chaffetz takes aim at Obama administration over Benghazi attack
Rep. Jason Chaffetz , R-Utah, is taking on the Obama administration Wednesday over what happened in Benghazi, Libya.All the while, the Administration has doubled down on claims there is nothing new to see here. That's becoming harder and harder to believe in light of new scandals that raise even more questions regarding candor. With the IRS admitting to targeting conservative groups for audits, and the AP announcing administration snooping into their phone records, questions about credibility continue to proliferate.
As last week's testimony made clear, there is more to Benghazi than meets the eye. And there is more than Benghazi to raise doubts about the veracity of any response we get from the administration.
Benghazi matters. Not just because Americans were murdered. Not just because terrorists attacked a US consulate. But because the credibility of this White House is on the line. It appears they have engaged in misdirection at the highest levels to cover up whatever happened in Benghazi. We deserve to know why. We deserve to know the truth.
Congressman Jason Chaffetz represents Utah's 3rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, where he is currently serving his third term. He serves as ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee. Prior to his time in Congress, Chaffetz was former Gov. Jon Huntsman's Chief of Staff.
