The Disrespect With Which Darrell Issa Is Treating John Kerry
Usually, before you subpoena a cabinet member to appear before a House committee, you give the person
an opportunity to do so voluntarily. Not so, with Darrell Issa’s subpoena to Secretary of State John Kerry on Benghazi.
Kerry’s spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters she was upset that Issa issued the subpoena before inviting Kerry to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on a voluntary basis, which is customary in congressional hearings.
“It is highly unusual for a subpoena to be issued before there’s even an official invitation for testimony,” Harf said, according to The Washington Examiner. “I think everyone can make their own judgments about that. I’m not sure the secretary’s even aware of the request, again, given his travel. He’s scheduled to be in Mexico on the 21st, which is the date that (Issa) has asked him to testify, which (he) would have known if they reached out to us instead of issuing a subpoena — I think by tweet, possibly.”
Issa says the State Department is withholding information, but John Kerry says he has nothing to hide.
“The notion that there is something out there, that if Darrell Issa just keeps digging he can use politically, is just not borne out by the statistical facts of what we’ve done to look into what happened in Benghazi here,” Harf said.
She said the issue has become personal for Issa.
“Well, he personalized it today with the secretary,” Harf said. “I think he went there first.”
