For Immediate Release
June 27, 2016
SCDP STATEMENT ON TREY GOWDY’S CONDUCT AS CHAIR OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON BENGHAZI
Columbia, SC – South Carolina Democratic Party Policy & Communications Director Matthew Ellison released the following statement today on the Report of the Democratic Members of the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi, which details how Chairman Trey Gowdy wasted millions of taxpayer dollars conducting a partisan witch-hunt:
“We are dismayed but sadly not surprised that Trey Gowdy turned the Select Committee on Benghazi into an arm of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The tragic deaths of four courageous Americans should have brought us all together to find out what went wrong and prevent it from ever happening again. But Gowdy’s committee was a sham from the start, not even beginning its ‘work’ until eight thorough investigations had been concluded, five of these by Republican-led congressional committees. Rather than conduct a bipartisan inquiry to see if there was anything the previous investigations might have missed, Gowdy went on a partisan witch-hunt, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars and countless hours when he should have been getting things done for his constituents. Gowdy leveled reckless attacks on Secretary Clinton, which he refused to retract even after they were debunked. He mocked Democratic offers to collaborate as ‘mildly amusing.’ But citizens of the 4th Congressional District are not amused by their congressman’s partisan antics.
“When the committee was established over two years ago, Gowdy said, ‘If we engage in a process that is not fair according to the American people, we will be punished as we should be for that.’ He was right, yet he nonetheless proceeded to engage in an unfair partisan process. The punishment will take place November 8.”
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