Two weeks ago the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to produce documentation and to testify about the 9/11 terror attack in Benghazi on May 21. The subpoena came after State Department officials failed for months to comply with multiple subpoenas requesting Benghazi information and after new emails revealed the White House was directly involved in altering talking points in order to focus attention on a video instead of failure in administration policy. Kerry responded by saying he would cooperate with the subpoena, but that he could not attend the scheduled Committee hearing because he'll be in Mexico.
Now, Chairman Darrell Issa has issued another subpoena to Kerry asking him to testify on May 29.
“I lifted the subpoena requiring Secretary Kerry to testify on May 21 because the State Department made reasonable arguments for an accommodation and told our Committee they were seeking a suitable alternative date for his testimony on a voluntary basis. But soon after I lifted the subpoena, the State Department back tracked – stating publicly that we should accept ‘a more appropriate witness’ and refusing to commit to making Secretary Kerry available," Issa said in a statement. “With this State Department’s slippery tactics, it’s no wonder our friends in the world are losing faith in us and our adversaries doubt our credibility. The State Department had discussed May 29 as a possible alternative date and that’s when Secretary Kerry will be obligated to appear – further accommodation will not be possible. Absent an assertion of executive privilege, the State Department has a legal obligation to fully and completely comply.”
The Committee is now waiting on the State Department to reply with Kerry's response.
