UPDATED Benghazi By the Numbers 6.28.16

BENGHAZI: BY THE NUMBERS

Secretary Clinton took responsibility:  In interviews, testimony and in her book, Secretary Clinton has taken responsibility repeatedly. She was determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure.

Secretary Clinton took action: Secretary Clinton appointed a nonpartisan, independent Accountability Review Board to review what happened and began the process of implementing the 29 recommendations put forth by the ARB before leaving the State Department.  She took these steps in order to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.

Secretary Clinton was fully transparent: Secretary Clinton fully and publicly answered questions before Congress. The report of the Accountability Review Board is just the second to be made public, making it one of the most transparent internal reviews in State Department history. The investigations have included ten different congressional committees and over 30 hearings dealing with the tragedy, more than 50 senior level staff briefings, more than 20 transcribed interviews, multiple independent/bipartisan reports and the disclosure of at least 100,000 pages of documents. Past investigations of the tragedy have cost taxpayers millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours. The newest committee has already cost taxpayers more than $6.8 million to date, at a rate of 8,000 per day, while the committee chairman presents false information to the press.

BENGHAZI INVESTIGATIONS BY THE NUMBERS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE TO DESTROY HILLARY CLINTON

Trey Gowdy and his Select Committee on Benghazi have received increased scrutiny after the not-so-shocking admissions by Republican Reps. McCarthy and Hanna of its blatantly political motivations.

It’s often forgotten that Gowdy’s committee is the 8th congressional investigation into the tragedy that took the lives of 4 brave Americans. In the course of those previous investigations, all of the questions have been asked and answered, and recommendations were made as to how to prevent another tragedy from happening again. However, preventing another tragedy has never been the focus of Gowdy’s committee. Take a look at the sheer number and size of the investigations thus far, as well as Gowdy’s committee’s deranged obsession with Secretary Clinton and her emails, and it’s clear that this committee was formed with no other purpose other than to destroy Hillary Clinton.

1335: Number of days since the beginning of the ongoing investigations into the tragedy in Benghazi, and there is no end yet in sight. [As of 5/8/16]

Cost

$+23 Million: Minimum total cost to the taxpayers of congressional investigations into Benghazi.

  • $14 Million: The State Department has spent more than $14 million responding to congressional investigations into Benghazi.“During yesterday’s meeting, the State Department reported that it has now spent more than $14 million responding to the eight congressional investigations of the Benghazi attacks, turning over tens of thousands of pages of documents, and making dozens of witnesses available for scores of hearings, interviews, and briefings.” [Benghazi Committee Democrats press release, 10/10/15]
  • $7.1 Million: The Benghazi Committee’s investigation has cost more than $7.1 million. [Benghazi Investigation: The Cost to Taxpayers, accessed 6/27/16]
  • +$2 Million: The Pentagon said multiple investigations into Benghazi had cost the Department of Defense “millions of dollars.” “The Pentagon said Tuesday that its work to comply with the six congressional investigations into the September 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, has cost the military millions of dollars and thousands of man hours. The Pentagon said in a letter to Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed services Committee, that Defense Department officials have participated in 50 congressional hearings, briefings and interviews about the attack.” [The Hill, 3/22/14]

Committee Participation

10: Number of congressional committees that have participated in Benghazi investigations.

  • House Committee on the Judiciary. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • House Committee on Armed Services. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. [Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi, 12/30/12]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. [Senate Intelligence Committee press release, 10/25/12]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. [Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned, 1/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services. [Attack on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, 2/7/13]
  • The Select Committee on Benghazi. [Select Committee on Benghazi, accessed 3/24/15]

Prior Congressional Investigations

7: Number of prior congressional investigations into the Benghazi tragedy.

  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. [“Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board,” Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 9/16/13]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. [“Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi,” the Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs 12/30/12]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. [“Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 1/15/14]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs. [“Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?,” Majority Staff Report – House Foreign Affairs Committee, 2/7/14]
  • House Committee on the Judiciary. [Interim Progress Report on Benghazi Investigation, 4/23/13]
  • House Committee on Armed Services. [“Armed Services Committee slams White House on Benghazi,” USA Today, 2/11/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. [“Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 11/21/14]

Hearings

33: Number of congressional hearings, public or private, held on the Benghazi tragedy according to publicly available hearing transcripts, congressional reports, and committee websites and fact sheets.

  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs hearing, Homeland Threats and Agency Responses held 9/19/12. [Homeland Threats and Agency Responses, 9/19/12]
  • House Committee on Armed Services hearing, Full Committee Hearing on the Attack in Benghazi held 9/19/12. [Fact Sheet: HASC Oversight Activities on Libya, armedservices.house.gov, accessed 4/13/15]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, The Security Failures of Benghazi held 10/10/12. [The Security Failures of Benghazi, 10/10/12]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi and Beyond: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent it from Happening at other Frontline Posts, Part I held 11/15/12. [Benghazi and Beyond: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent it from Happening at other Frontline Posts, Part I, 11/15/12]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing with DNI Clapper, ADCIA Morell, D/NCTC Olsen, and Under Secretary Kennedy held 11/15/12. [Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 7, footnote 11, 11/21/14]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Hearing on the Attacks in Benghazi held 11/15/12. [Senate Intelligence Committee press release, 10/25/12, SSCI Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 3, footnote 4, 1/15/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing on Benghazi held 11/16/12. [Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 25, footnote 131, 11/21/14]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Hearing With General David Petraeus Re: His Knowledge of the Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya held 11/16/12. [SSCI Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, Additional Majority Views, pg. 3, footnote 143, 1/15/14]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Hearing on Security Issues at Benghazi and Threats to U.S. Intelligence and Diplomatic Personnel and Facilities Worldwide Since the Attack held 12/4/12. [SSCI Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 6, footnote 18, 1/15/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee classified hearing on efforts to find the Benghazi attackers held 12/13/12. [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Investigation into the Benghazi Terrorist Attacks Timeline of Investigation to date, no. 34, 12/04/14]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi Attack, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board held 12/20/12. [Benghazi Attack, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board, 12/20/12]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing, Benghazi: The Attack and the Lessons Learned held 12/20/12. [Benghazi: The Attack and the Lessons Learned, 12/20/12]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State’s View held 1/23/13. [Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State’s View, 1/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing with Secretary Clinton, Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned held 1/23/13. [Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned, 1/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing, Department Of Defense’s Response To The Attack On U.S. Facilities In Benghazi, Libya, And The Findings Of Its Internal Review Following The Attack held 2/7/13. [Department Of Defense’s Response To The Attack On U.S. Facilities In Benghazi, Libya, And The Findings Of Its Internal Review Following The Attack, 2/7/13]
  • House Committee on Armed Services hearing, The Posture of the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command held 3/15/13. [“HASC Committee Oversight of Benghazi Attack,” HASC website, accessed 4/21/15]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget held 4/17/13. [“Investigation of Benghazi,” gop.gov, accessed 4/13/15]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage held 5/8/13. [Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage, 5/8/13]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing with CIA’s former Chief of Benghazi Base held 5/22/13. [Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 14, footnote 70, 11/21/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing with Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell held 5/22/13. [Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, pg. 16, footnote 83, 11/21/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing on Benghazi Investigation held 6/14/13. [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Investigation into the Benghazi Terrorist Attacks Timeline of Investigation to date, no. 63, 12/04/14]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa joint hearing, The Terrorist Threat in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi held 7/10/13. [The Terrorist Threat in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi, 7/10/13]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing with DCIA Brennan held 7/25/13. [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Investigation into the Benghazi Terrorist Attacks Timeline of Investigation to date, no. 70, 12/04/14]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Full Committee Hearing on Benghazi Investigation held 9/12/13. [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Investigation into the Benghazi Terrorist Attacks Timeline of Investigation to date, no. 74, 12/04/14]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?       held 9/18/13. [Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?, 9/18/13]
  • House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigations hearing, Defense Department’s Posture for September 11, 2013: What are the Lessons of Benghazi? held 9/19/13. [Defense Department’s Posture for September 11, 2013: What are the Lessons of Benghazi?, 9/19/13]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions held 9/19/13. [Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions, 9/19/13]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, The Benghazi Talking Points and Michael J. Morell’s Role in Shaping the Administration’s Narrative held 4/2/14. [The Benghazi Talking Points and Michael J. Morell’s Role in Shaping the Administration’s Narrative, 4/2/14]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Benghazi, Instability, and a New Government: Successes and Failures of U.S. Intervention in Libya held 5/1/14. [Benghazi, Instability, and a New Government: Successes and Failures of U.S. Intervention in Libya, 5/1/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Implementation of the Accountability Review Board Recommendations held 9/17/14. [Implementation of the Accountability Review Board Recommendations, 9/17/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Reviewing Efforts to Secure U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel held 12/10/14. [Reviewing Efforts to Secure U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel, 12/10/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Status Review of Outstanding Requests held 1/27/15. [Status Review of Outstanding Requests, 1/27/15]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held 10/22/15. [Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 10/22/15]

62: Approximate number of hours spent to date in publicly available hearings about the tragedy in Benghazi.

  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs hearing, Homeland Threats and Agency Responses lasted approximately 1:51:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 11:55 p.m. [sic].” [Homeland Threats and Agency Responses, 9/19/12]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, The Security Failures of Benghazi lasted approximately 4:08:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to call, at 12:05 p.m.,” and adjourned “at 4:14 p.m.” [The Security Failures of Benghazi, 10/10/12]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi and Beyond: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent it from Happening at other Frontline Posts, Part I lasted approximately 3:03:00. According to the hearing minutes, the committee met from 10:05 a.m. to 1:08 p.m. [Benghazi and Beyond: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent it from Happening at other Frontline Posts, Part I, pg. 91, 11/15/12]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi Attack, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board lasted approximately 2:55:00. According to the hearing minutes, the committee met from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 pm, including a 50 minute recess from 2:40 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. [Benghazi Attack, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board, pg. 63, 12/20/12]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing, Benghazi: The Attack and the Lessons Learned lasted approximately 1:43:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to notice, at 8:03 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 9:46 a.m.” [Benghazi: The Attack and the Lessons Learned, 12/20/12]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State’s View lasted approximately 3:01:00. According to the hearing minutes, the committee met from 2:02 p.m. to 5:03 p.m. [Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State’s View, 1/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing with Secretary Clinton, Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned lasted approximately 2:32:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:03 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 11:35 a.m.” [Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned, 1/23/13]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing, Department Of Defense’s Response To The Attack On U.S. Facilities In Benghazi, Libya, And The Findings Of Its Internal Review Following The Attack lasted approximately 4:10:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 2:26 p.m.” and included a “recess from 1:25 p.m. to 1:36 p.m.” [Department Of Defense’s Response To The Attack On U.S. Facilities In Benghazi, Libya, And The Findings Of Its Internal Review Following The Attack, 2/7/13]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage lasted approximately 5:35:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:30 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 5:15 p.m.” and included a recess of “about 10 minutes.”       [Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage, 5/8/13]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs, subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa joint hearing, The Terrorist Threat in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi lasted approximately 1:45:00. According to the hearing minutes, the committee met from 10:05 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. [The Terrorist Threat in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi, pg. 67, 7/10/13]
  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?       Lasted approximately 2:37:00. According to the hearing minutes, the committee met from 10:12 a.m. to 12:49 p.m. [Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?, pg. 81, 9/18/13]
  • House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, Defense Department’s Posture for September 11, 2013: What are the Lessons of Benghazi? Lasted approximately 1:04:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the subcommittee met pursuant to call, at 4:00 p.m.,” and adjourned “at 5:40 p.m.” to proceed in a closed session. [Defense Department’s Posture for September 11, 2013: What are the Lessons of Benghazi?, 9/19/13]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions lasted approximately 5:37:39. According to the three part video recording of the hearing, part 1 runs from 00:00:16 to completion at 2:37:17, part 2 runs from 00:00:00 to 2:09:42, and part 3 runs from 00:1:46 to 00:52:42. [Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions, 9/19/13]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, The Benghazi Talking Points and Michael J. Morell’s Role in Shaping the Administration’s Narrative lasted approximately 3:04:27. According to the CSPAN recording of the hearing, the video runs from 00:00:30 to 3:04:57. [The Benghazi Talking Points and Michael J. Morell’s Role in Shaping the Administration’s Narrative, 4/2/14]
  • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Benghazi, Instability, and a New Government: Successes and Failures of U.S. Intervention in Libya lasted approximately 2:57:13. According to the CSPAN recording of the hearing, the video runs from 00:00:35 to 1:48:45, and from 1:49:21 to 2:58:24. [Benghazi, Instability, and a New Government: Successes and Failures of U.S. Intervention in Libya, 5/1/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Implementation of the Accountability Review Board Recommendations lasted approximately 2:48:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met pursuant to call, at 10:02 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 12:50 p.m.” [Implementation of the Accountability Review Board Recommendations, 9/17/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Reviewing Efforts to Secure U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel lasted approximately 2:36:20. According to the CSPAN recording of the hearing, the video runs from 00:00:13 to 2:36:33. [Reviewing Efforts to Secure U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel, 12/10/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Status Review of Outstanding Requests lasted approximately 2:20:00. According to the hearing transcript, “the committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:31 a.m.,” and adjourned “at 12:51 p.m.” [Status Review of Outstanding Requests, 1/27/15]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lasted approximately 8:20:50. According to the four part CSPAN recording of the hearing, part 1 runs from 00:00:05 to 3:17:40, part 2 runs from 00:00:05 to 1:31:30, part 3 runs from 00:01:59 to 1:03:54, and part 4 runs from 00:00:25 to 2:30:04. [Part 1, 10/22/15; Part 2, 10/22/15; Part 3, 10/22/15; Part 4, 10/22/15]

Questions

3,194: Number of questions asked in public hearings held on the Benghazi tragedy. [CTR Analysis, 5/3/16]

Witnesses

252: Approximate number of witness appearances before House and Senate committees and staff for hearings, briefings, and interviews according to available congressional reports, hearing transcripts, declassified briefing transcripts, committee websites, and fact sheets. [CTR Analysis, updated 6/8/16]

Reports

13: Number of published reports on the Benghazi attacks and subsequent investigations.

  • State Department Accountability Review Board’s report. [Accountability Review Board, 39 pages, 12/20/12]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs report, Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi. [Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi, 31 pages, 12/30/12]
  • House Republicans’ Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference on the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi Libya. [House GOP Interim Progress Report, 46 pages, 4/23/13]
  • Report of the Independent Panel on Best Practices. [Report of the Independent Panel on Best Practices, 53 pages 8/29/13]
  • House Oversight’s Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board. [“Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board,” 99 pages, 9/16/13]
  • House Oversight Democrat’s Status Update on Investigation of Attacks on U.S. Personnel and Facilities in Benghazi. [“Status Update on Investigation of Attacks on U.S. Personnel and Facilities in Benghazi,” 80 pages, September 2013]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012. [“Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” 85 pages, 1/15/14]
  • House Foreign Affairs Majority Staff report, Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability? [“Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?,” 28 pages, 2/7/14]
  • House Armed Services Committee Majority Interim Report, Benghazi Investigation Update. [“Benghazi Investigation Update,” 31 pages, February 2014]
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012. [“Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012,” 277 pages, 11/21/14]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi, Interim Progress Update. [“Interim Progress Update,” 15 pages, 5/8/15]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi Democrats Report, Honoring Courage, Improving Security, and Fighting the Exploitation of a Tragedy. [“Honoring Courage, Improving Security, and Fighting the Exploitation of a Tragedy,” 345 pages, June 2016]
  • House Select Committee on Benghazi Republicans Report, Report of the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. [“Report of the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi,” 853 pages, 6/28/16]

1,982: Number of pages in published reports on the Benghazi attacks and investigations.

State Department

$700 Million: State Department operational funding threatened by Republicans if officials do not give in to the ongoing “sham investigation.” [The Hill, 6/11/15]

$14 Million: Cost to the State Department of responding to eight congressional investigations into the Benghazi attacks, document production, and witness availability. [Benghazi Committee Democrats press release, “On Three-Year Anniversary of First Republican Benghazi Hearing, State Dept. Reports Spending $14 Million–and Counting,” 10/10/15]

Department of Defense

50: Approximate number of hearings, briefings, and interviews the Department of Defense has led or participated in during previous Benghazi investigations. [Department of Defense letter to Rep. Adam Smith, 3/11/14]

Thousands: Number of hours spent by Department of Defense in hearings, briefings, and interviews, and other repetitive congressional requests. [Department of Defense letter to Rep. Adam Smith, 3/11/14]

Millions: Cost to the Department of Defense and other agencies responding to previous congressional investigations into the Benghazi attacks. [Department of Defense letter to Rep. Adam Smith, 3/11/14]

Recommendations

29: Number of recommendations issued by the Accountability Review Board and accepted by the State Department to ensure the security of American diplomats serving abroad. [“Benghazi Accountability Review Board Implementation,” state.gov, 1/15/14]

Accusations

0: Number of investigations that have found any administration wrongdoing related to the Benghazi tragedy. [NPR, 11/24/14]

0: Number of investigations to find evidence of an intelligence failure leading to the Benghazi tragedy. [LA Times, 11/22/14]

0: Number of investigations to find evidence of a stand down order. [LA Times, 11/22/14]

Benghazi Select Committee By The Numbers     

726: Number of days the Select Committee on Benghazi has existed. This is longer than the investigations of Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, Iran-Contra and Hurricane Katrina. [democrats.benghazi.house.gov, accessed 5/3/16]

2016: Year the Select Committee suggested it would release a final report, making it one of the longest congressional investigation in U.S. history, and ensuring the investigation continues well into the presidential campaign cycle. [MSNBC, 4/23/15]

Budget and Cost

Unlimited: Budget granted to the Benghazi Select Committee by the Republican controlled House of Representatives. [Letter to Committee on House Administration Chairman and Ranking Member, 2/5/15]

$1.8 Million: Approximate cost of the Benghazi Select Committee in 2014. [Letter to Committee on House Administration Chairman and Ranking Member, 2/5/15]

$2.5 Million: Approximate cost of the Benghazi Select Committee in its first 10 months. [“Benghazi Investigation Now Longer than Iran-Contra and other Investigations,” Benghazi Select Committee Democrats press release, 3/23/15]

$7.1 Million: Approximate cost of the Benghazi Select Committee to date. [Benghazi Investigation: The Cost to the Taxpayers, accessed 6/27/16]

$8,000: Estimated daily cost of the Benghazi Select Committee investigation at its current rate. [Letter to Committee on House Administration Chairman and Ranking Member, 2/5/15]

$1.35 Million: Approximate total salary expenditures in 2014 for Benghazi Select Committee staff. [Legistorm, accessed 4/24/15]

$3.59 Million: Approximate total salary expenditures for Benghazi Select Committee staff. [Legistorm, accessed 3/9/16]

$128,750: Average salary of House GOP staff on the Benghazi Select Committee. [New York Observer, 6/18/15]

46: Number of professional staff members who have worked on the Benghazi Select Committee according to Legistorm. [Legistorm, accessed 3/9/16]

5: Number of permanent House committees that have spent less in 2015 than the Select Committee on Benghazi. [Committee Reports from 114th Congress, Committee on House Administration, accessed 5/4/16]

Hearings

4: Number of public hearings held by the Benghazi Select Committee since its formation in May 2014. [Select Committee on Benghazi, accessed 3/9/16]

11: Number of months Secretary Clinton had to wait to testify in an open, public hearing before the Benghazi Committee despite a standing offer from November 2014. [Clinton Attorney Letter to Chairman Gowdy, 4/22/15; Select Committee Confirms Date for Appearance by Former Secretary of State Clinton, 6/29/15]

Documents

100,000+: Approximate number of pages of documents provided by the State Department and other agencies for Select Committee review. [Select Committee Announces Scheduled Testimony of Additional Witnesses, 12/3/15]

300: Approximate number of Secretary Clinton’s emails related to Benghazi and provided to the Select Committee in February. [New York Times, 3/3/15]

900: Approximate number of pages of Secretary Clinton’s emails provided to the Select Committee in February. [New York Times, 3/3/15]

925: Approximate number of Hillary Clinton’s emails provided to the Select Committee in October 2015. A “small number” of these related to Benghazi, while the rest were about Libya more generally or were previously assessed to be personal in nature. [Daily Beast, 9/25/15]

0: Number of prior State Department Accountability Review Boards whose investigative files have been produced to Congress. [State Department letter to Chairman Gowdy, 4/15/15]

Witnesses

107: Approximate number witnesses brought in for interviews with the Select Committee to date. [Benghazi Committee Press Release, updated 6/17/16]

8: Number of current or former Clinton campaign staffers interviewed or deposed by the Benghazi Committee. [Benghazi Committee Democrats press release, 10/1/15]

Select Committee’s Focus on Hillary Clinton’s Email

11: Number of planned hearings abandoned by Trey Gowdy and the Republicans on the Select Committee in order to focus on Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton’s email. [Republicans Abandon Plan for Benghazi Hearings to Focus on Clinton, 7/15/15]

  • January: Hearing with State Department eyewitnesses to the attacks to address the question of what happened in Benghazi.
  • February: Hearing with non-State Department eyewitnesses to the attacks to address the question of what happened in Benghazi.
  • February: Hearing on the Status of Document productions (if needed).
  • March: Hearing with State Department witnesses to address the question of “Why were we in Libya?”
  • April: Hearing with former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary Leon Panetta as witnesses to address the question of “Why were we in Libya?”
  • May: Hearing with Secretary Clinton as the witness to address the question of “How did we respond?
  • May: Potential Hearing with Raymond Maxwell.
  • June: Hearing with former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morrell as the witness to address intelligence matters related to Libya, specifically about what was said after the attacks.
  • July: Hearing with former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as the witness to address the motivation of the attackers, as well as what was said after the attacks.
  • September: Hearing to address the State Department’s implementation of the ARB recommendations, which would be a final hearing to address what has been fixed since the attacks.
  • October: Hearing to address oversight recommendations, specifically to examine what should be fixed in the future.

26: Number of Republican Select Committee press releases, out of 29 total since March 4, that specifically mention Hillary Clinton or her email. [As of 10/8/15]

  • Press Release: Statement from the Communications Director on Clinton Email Addresses, March 4, 2015. [Statement from the Communications Director on Clinton Email Addresses, 3/4/15]
  • Press Release: Statement from the Communications Director on Subpoena Issuance, March 4, 2015. [Statement from the Communications Director on Subpoena Issuance, 3/4/15]
  • Press Release: Statement from the Communications Director on Clinton’s Emails, March 5, 2015. [Statement from the Communications Director on Clinton’s Emails, 3/5/15]
  • Press Release: Gowdy Statement on Clinton Press Conference, March 10, 2015. [Gowdy Statement on Clinton Press Conference, 3/10/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee on Benghazi Formally Requests Clinton Turn Over Server to Neutral Third Party, March 20, 2015. [Select Committee on Benghazi Formally Requests Clinton Turn Over Server to Neutral Third Party, 3/20/15]
  • Press Release: Statement Regarding Subpoena Compliance and Server Determination by Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, March 27, 2015. [Statement Regarding Subpoena Compliance and Server Determination by Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 3/27/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee Formally Requests Secretary Clinton Interview on Email Arrangement, March 31, 2015. [Select Committee Formally Requests Secretary Clinton Interview on Email Arrangement, 3/31/15]
  • Press Release: Statement on Response from Clinton Lawyer, April 22, 2015. [Statement on Response from Clinton Lawyer, 4/22/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee on Benghazi Calls Clinton to Testify, April 23, 2015. [Select Committee on Benghazi Calls Clinton to Testify, 4/23/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee Releases Interim progress Update, May 8, 2015. [ Select Committee Releases Interim Progress Update, 5/8/15]
  • Press Release: Benghazi Committee Releases Letter on State Department Compliance Failure, Clinton, May 14, 2015. [Benghazi Committee Releases Letter on State Department Compliance Failure, Clinton, 5/14/15]
  • Press Release: Statement on the Release of Secretary Clinton’s Benghazi Emails, May 22, 2015. [Statement on the Release of Secretary Clinton’s Benghazi Emails, 5/22/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee Obtains New Blumenthal Emails Before Deposition, June 15, 2015. [Select Committee Obtains New Blumenthal Emails Before Deposition, 6/16/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee Adds to Secretary Clinton’s Public Email Record, June 22, 2015. [Select Committee Adds to Secretary Clinton’s Public Email Record, 6/22/15]
  • Press Release: State Department Fails to Answer on New Clinton Emails, June 23, 2015. [State Department Fails to Answer on New Clinton Emails, 6/23/15]
  • Press Release: State Confirms Clinton Failed to Turn Over ALL Benghazi and Libya Documents, June 25, 2015. [State Confirms Clinton Failed to Turn Over ALL Benghazi and Libya Documents, 6/25/15]
  • Press Release: Gowdy Statement in Response to Clinton Comments on the Benghazi Committee, July 7, 2015. [Gowdy Statement in Response to Clinton Comments on the Benghazi Committee, 7/7/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Clinton Subpoena, July 8, 2015. [Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Clinton Subpoena, 7/8/15]
  • Press Release: Statement by Chairman Gowdy on Reports of Classified Information in Secretary Clinton’s Emails, July 24, 2015. [Statement by Chairman Gowdy on Reports of Classified Information in Secretary Clinton’s Emails, 7/24/15]
  • Press Release: Statement from Select Committee Communications Director Regarding Clinton’s Testimony, July 25, 2015. [Statement from Select Committee Communications Director Regarding Clinton’s Testimony, 7/25/15]
  • Press Release: Select Committee Confirms Date for Appearance by Former Secretary of State Clinton, July 29, 2015. [Select Committee Confirms Date for Appearance by Former Secretary of State Clinton, 7/29/15]
  • Press Release: Gowdy Statement on Secretary Clinton’s Decision to Turn over Server to the Department of Justice, August 11, 2015. [Gowdy Statement on Secretary Clinton’s Decision to Turn over Server to the Department of Justice, 8/11/15]
  • Press Release: Gowdy Statement on Anniversaries of 9/11 and Benghazi Attacks. [Benghazi GOP press release, “Gowdy Statement on Anniversaries of 9/11 and Benghazi Attacks,” 9/11/15]
  • Press Release: Statement from the Communications Director on State Department Turning Over New, Previously Withheld Clinton Benghazi Emails. [Benghazi GOP press release, “Statement from the Communications Director on State Department Turning Over New, Previously Withheld Clinton Benghazi Emails,” 9/25/15]
  • Press Release: Statement from the Communications Director on Democrats’ Announced Transcript Plan. [Benghazi GOP press release, “Statement from the Communications Director on Democrats’ Announced Transcript Plan,” 10/5/15]
  • Press Release: Benghazi Committee Informs State Department of Intent to Add to Public Record with Release of New Clinton Emails. [Benghazi GOP press release, “Benghazi Committee Informs State Department of Intent to Add to Public Record with Release of New Clinton Emails,” 10/8/15]

136: Number of written questions posed by Benghazi Select Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy in a letter to Secretary Clinton’s attorney. [Chairman Gowdy letter to Clinton attorney, 4/23/15]

  • 8: Number of questions, out of 136 posed by the Select Committee in a letter to Secretary Clinton, directly related to the tragedy in Benghazi. [Washington Post, 4/23/15]

Leaks

13: Minimum number of identifiable leaks of documents or information from the Benghazi Committee.

Leak #1: Trey Gowdy committee leaked news of Hillary Clinton subpoena.  “In a letter sent to Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) on Friday, the five Democrats on the panel criticized Gowdy for issuing the formal request for documents from Clinton’s term as secretary of state without consulting with Democrats and accused the committee of operating as a campaign arm of the Republican National Committee…. ‘Issuing this subpoena unilaterally with no deliberation by committee members, leaking information about the subpoena before informing Democratic Members, and providing inaccurate information at a press conference all contribute to a perception that this Committee is now targeting Secretary Clinton for political reasons rather than to clarify any remaining facts relating to the attacks in Benghazi,’ the Democrats, led by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), wrote.” [Politico, 3/6/15]

  • Rep. Cummings: “It seems obvious that someone on the Republican side of the Committee provided this information.” “Contrary to your statements warning against the disclosure of internal Committee information, the Washington Post ran a story about your subpoena before you informed a single Democratic member that it was under consideration. It seems obvious that someone on the Republican side of the Committee provided this information to an individual outside the Committee before you told any Democratic Members.”  [Cummings letter to Gowdy, 3/6/15]

Leak #2: Trey Gowdy committee leaked news of Sidney Blumenthal subpoena. “Now, as Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks on her second presidential bid, Mr. Blumenthal’s service to the Clintons is again under the spotlight. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, a Republican who is leading the congressional committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, plans to subpoena Mr. Blumenthal, 66, for a private transcribed interview. Mr. Gowdy’s chief interest, according to people briefed on the inquiry, is a series of memos that Mr. Blumenthal — who was not an employee of the State Department — wrote to Mrs. Clinton about events unfolding in Libya before and after the death of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.” [New York Times, 5/18/15]

  • Rep. Cummings: Republicans on the Benghazi Committee leaked “news of the subpoena before it was served.” “These latest moves by the Benghazi Committee—issuing  a subpoena without first contacting the witness, leaking news of the subpoena before it was served, and not holding any Committee debate or vote—are straight out the partisan playbook of discredited Republican investigations.” [“Cummings Statement on Leaked Plan to Issue Unilateral Subpoena,” 5/18/15]

Leak #3: Trey Gowdy committee leaked Sidney Blumenthal email correspondence with Clinton. “Mr. Gowdy’s chief interest, according to people briefed on the inquiry, is a series of memos that Mr. Blumenthal — who was not an employee of the State Department — wrote to Mrs. Clinton about events unfolding in Libya before and after the death of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. According to emails obtained by The New York Times, Mrs. Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, took Mr. Blumenthal’s advice seriously, forwarding his memos to senior diplomatic officials in Libya and Washington and at times asking them to respond. Mrs. Clinton continued to pass around his memos even after other senior diplomats concluded that Mr. Blumenthal’s assessments were often unreliable.” [New York Times, 5/18/15]

  • Rep. Cummings: Trey Gowdy “selectively leaked pages of Secretary Clinton’s emails” to the press. “Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, issued the following statement in response to a press report that Chairman Gowdy intends to subpoena Sidney Blumenthal, which included selectively leaked pages of Secretary Clinton’s emails.” [Cummings Statement on Leaked Plan to Issue Unilateral Subpoena, 5/18/15]

Leak #4: Trey Gowdy committee leaked one third of Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi emails. “The emails set for release, drawn from some 55,000 pages and focused on Libya, have already been turned over to the special House committee investigating the 2012 attacks on the United States outposts in Benghazi. The New York Times has obtained about a third of the 850 pages of emails. They capture the correspondence and concerns expressed among Mrs. Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, and her advisers following the attacks, which claimed the lives of the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans.” [New York Times, 5/21/15]

  • Washington Examiner: “Benghazi committee … appeared to have leaked several hundred pages of records to the New York Times just hours before the State Department published its first batch of redacted emails.” “In November of last year, Clinton gave the State Department 55,000 printed pages of emails she deemed relevant to her work as secretary of state and reportedly deleted the rest. Many of those emails have been subjected to review by the Benghazi Committee, which appeared to have leaked several hundred pages of records to the New York Times just hours before the State Department published its first batch of redacted emails.” [Washington Examiner, 6/2/15]

Leak #5: Trey Gowdy committee leaked doctored emails to Politico. “While still secretary of state, Clinton emailed back and forth with Blumenthal about efforts by one of the groups, Media Matters, to neutralize criticism of her handling of the deadly assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, sources tell POLITICO. ‘Got all this done. … Complete refutation on Libya smear,’ Blumenthal wrote to Clinton in an Oct. 10, 2012, email into which he had pasted links to four Media Matters posts criticizing Fox News and Republicans for politicizing the Benghazi attacks and challenging claims of lax security around the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, according to a source who has reviewed the email exchange. Blumenthal signed off the email to Clinton by suggesting that one of her top aides, Philippe Reines, ‘can circulate these links,’ according to the source. Clinton responded: ‘Thanks, I’m pushing to WH,’ according to the source.” [Politico, 6/17/15 (via Cummings Letter to Trey Gowdy, 7/6/15)]

  • Rep. Cummings: “Someone who was given access to the Select Committee’s documents leaked doctored information to the press in order to make unsubstantiated allegations against Secretary Clinton.” “Documents released recently by the Benghazi Select Committee demonstrate that a Member of the Committee, a staffer on the Committee, or someone who has been given access to the Committee’s documents inaccurately described to the press email exchanges obtained by the Committee in a way that appeared to further a political attack against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.” [Rep. Cummings letter to Chairman Gowdy, 7/6/15]
  • MSNBC: Politico report was based in part on information leaked to the news outlet that turned out to be untrue. “Three weeks ago, Politico published a fairly long, front-page piece with a provocative headline: ‘Benghazi panel probes Sidney Blumenthal’s work for David Brock.’ At issue, of course, is the House Select Committee on Benghazi, already responsible for one of the longest congressional investigations in congressional history, and its meandering focus…. There was, however, a problem: the Politico report wasn’t entirely accurate – or more to the point, the Politico report was based in part on information leaked to the news outlet that turned out to be untrue. This morning, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member on the committee, sent a letter to the panel’s chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), making the case that it ‘it now appears that someone who was given access to the Select Committee’s documents leaked doctored information to the press in order to make unsubstantiated allegations against Secretary Clinton.’ By all appearances, Cummings has a very good point.” [MSNBC, 7/6/15]

Leak #6: Trey Gowdy committee leaked details about closed-door interview of Sidney Blumenthal. “The Clinton confidant under scrutiny on Capitol Hill over detailed Libya memos he sent to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers earlier this week he has been pulling in $200,000 a year from Clinton ally David Brock’s media operation, congressional sources tell FoxNews.com. The figure is far higher than initially reported. While the payments to Sidney Blumenthal may not reflect any apparent conflict of interest, his work with Brock’s liberal advocacy and media groups was a focus of his high-profile deposition on Tuesday before the House Benghazi committee. Republicans’ rationale for the questioning was that his financial and political interests are important context, at a time when he was sending high-level guidance to Clinton. Politico.com first reported that Republicans grilled Blumenthal on his work for Brock’s groups. But while the report said Blumenthal was making more than $10,000 a month, congressional sources say he acknowledged during the deposition he actually had a $200,000-a-year contract.”  [Fox News, 6/19/15]

  • Rep. Cummings: There have been “selective—and sometimes inaccurate—descriptions of his [Blumenthal’s] testimony and his emails that have appeared in the press.” “We believe the public record has been distorted by the selective release of Mr. Blumenthal’s emails without the full context of his deposition transcript, which provides Mr. Blumenthal’s answers to hundreds of questions posed to him about those emails. We also believe the full release of Mr. Blumenthal’s transcript will resolve public disagreements that have arisen from the selective—and sometimes inaccurate—descriptions of his testimony and his emails that have appeared in the press.” [Ranking Member Cummings Letter to Trey Gowdy, 6/24/15]

Leak #7: Trey Gowdy committee may have leaked false information that a criminal referral was made to the Justice Department for an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email. “An article and a headline in some editions on Friday about a request to the Justice Department for an investigation regarding Hillary Clinton’s personal email account while she was secretary of state misstated the nature of the request, using information from senior government officials. It addressed the potential compromise of classified information in connection with that email account. It did not specifically request an investigation into Mrs. Clinton…An article in some editions on Friday about a request to the Justice Department for an investigation regarding Hillary Clinton’s personal email account while she was secretary of state referred incorrectly, using information from senior government officials, to the request. It was a ‘security referral,’ pertaining to possible mishandling of classified information, officials said, not a ‘criminal referral.’” [New York Times correction, 7/23/15]

  • Rep. Cummings: “This is the latest example in a series of inaccurate leaks to generate false front-page headlines—only to be corrected later” “I spoke personally to the State Department Inspector General on Thursday, and he said he never asked the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation of Secretary Clinton’s email usage. Instead, he told me the Intelligence Community IG notified the Justice Department and Congress that they identified classified information in a few emails that were part of the FOIA review, and that none of those emails had been previously marked as classified. The Benghazi Select Committee has obtained zero evidence that any emails to or from Secretary Clinton were marked as classified at the time they were transmitted, although some have been retroactively classified since then. This is the latest example in a series of inaccurate leaks to generate false front-page headlines—only to be corrected later—and they have absolutely nothing to do with the attacks in Benghazi or protecting our diplomatic corps overseas.” [“Cummings Responds to Inaccurate Leaks to New York Times on Clinton Emails,” 7/24/15]
  • Vox’s Jonathan Allen: “My reporting suggests that House Benghazi Committee Chair Trey Gowdy was fully aware of the request to the Justice Department at least a day before the Times broke the story.” “My reporting suggests that House Benghazi Committee Chair Trey Gowdy was fully aware of the request to the Justice Department at least a day before the Times broke the story. If he or his staff were sources, it should have been incumbent upon the Times to check every detail with multiple unconnected sources. Gowdy’s team has been accused of leaking something untrue to a reporter before. Clearly, Sullivan thinks her colleagues didn’t do a good enough job of vetting their sources.” [Jonathan Allen column, Vox, 7/28/15]
  • Benghazi Committee Dem: “The leak of the Inspector General’s referral, and the mischaracterization that accompanied its leak, demonstrate once again how the Select Committee on Benghazi has lost sight of its mission.” “The leak of the Inspector General’s referral, and the mischaracterization that accompanied its leak, demonstrate once again how the Select Committee on Benghazi has lost sight of its mission and become little more than the taxpayer funded effort to attack Secretary Clinton.” [Rep. Schiff statement, 7/24/15]
  • The Atlantic’s Norm Ornstein: “It would not be the first time that committee has been a likely source for a front-page Times story on Clinton.” “Here is what top editor [NYT] Matt Purdy said about the story’s sources: They were ‘multiple, reliable, highly placed’ and included some ‘in law enforcement.’ What does that mean? First, it means that some of the sources were not in law enforcement. If they were from Congress, and, perhaps from Trey Gowdy’s special committee on Benghazi, it would not be the first time that committee has been a likely source for a front-page Times story on Clinton.” [Norm Ornstein column, The Atlantic, 7/28/15]
  • Salon’s Simon Maloy: “If it did originate from the Benghazi committee, that wouldn’t be a surprise, given that chairman Trey Gowdy has effectively given his colleagues and staff a green light to leak.” “(If it did originate from the Benghazi committee, that wouldn’t be a surprise, given that chairman Trey Gowdy has effectively given his colleagues and staff a green light to leak.) Of course, the only way to know for sure would be if the Times were to burn its sources – something it’s unlikely to do, even though it would seem to be justified.” [Simon Maloy column, Salon, 7/27/15]
  • New York Times admitted to relying on tips from Capitol Hill to develop now-discredited story. “The story developed quickly on Thursday afternoon and evening, after tips from various sources, including on Capitol Hill. The reporters had what Mr. Purdy described as ‘multiple, reliable, highly placed sources,’ including some ‘in law enforcement.’ I think we can safely read that as the Justice Department. The sources said not only was there indeed a referral but also that it was directed at Mrs. Clinton herself, and that it was a criminal referral. And that’s how The Times wrote it initially. ‘We got it wrong because our very good sources had it wrong,’ Mr. Purdy told me. ‘That’s an explanation, not an excuse. We have an obligation to get facts right and we work very hard to do that.’” [NY Times Public Editor’s Journal, 7/27/15]

Leak #8: Trey Gowdy committee leaked details of Cheryl Mills’ interview to resuscitate a previously debunked claim. “Raising alarms on the right, Mills, Clinton’s former chief of staff at the State Department, also told the House Select Committee on Benghazi that she reviewed and made suggestions for changes to the government’s official, final report on what happened in Benghazi, according to a separate, GOP source familiar with what she said. The source said it ‘call[s] into question the ‘independence’’ of the report’s conclusions; Democrats dismissed it as an old GOP theory that’s already been debunked.” [Politico, 9/3/15]

  • MSNBC’s Steve Benen: “Immediately after Mills spoke to the committee, the panel that claims not to leak started leaking.” “When former State Department Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills agreed to testify, she pleaded with the committee to hold a transparent, public hearing, open for all the world to see, so there’d be no concerns about misleading leaks. Gowdy and his team refused, insisting that Mills answer questions behind closed doors. Committee Democrats asked for a full transcript to be released to the public and the media, but Gowdy and his team refused this request, too. And right on cue, immediately after Mills spoke to committee, the panel that claims not to leak started leaking.” [MSNBC, 9/8/15]
  • Rep. Cummings: Within minutes of pledging to protect the details of Mills’ interview, “Republicans began leaking inaccurate information about the interview out of context to attack Ms. Mills for political reasons.” “Within minutes of making that statement, Republicans began leaking inaccurate information about the interview out of context to attack Ms. Mills for political reasons—exactly as she feared. For example, Politico ran a story on the front page of its website entitled, ‘What Cheryl Mills Told Benghazi Investigators.’ Relying on multiple anonymous Republican sources, Politico led with the claim that ‘one of the biggest surprises’ from the interview was that Ms. Mills reviewed the report by the Accountability Review Board (ARB) and made suggestions to it. According to an unnamed GOP source, this supposedly new revelation was ‘raising alarms on the right.’ Another Republican source told Politico that this somehow ‘call[s] into question the ‘independence’’ of the report’s conclusions.” [Republicans Selectively Leak Cheryl Mills Interview Details to Resuscitate Issa Conspiracy Theory Debunked Two Years Ago, 9/4/15]

Leak #9: Trey Gowdy committee leaked details about State Department record production. “A panel spokesman said he could not immediately confirm which of the documents had been turned over to the committee, but Citizens United President David Bossie told reporters that staffers at the House panel told the group State never produced the records to Congress. ‘To the best of their knowledge, they do not have these documents either, even though they are under subpoena for an extended period of time,’ Bossie told reporters outside U.S. District Court in Washington on Tuesday after a hearing on the suit.” [Politico, 9/22/15]

  • Citizens United’s David Bossie: “My staff communicated with the committee” and “their response was that we don’t think we have these.” “‘One of my staff communicated with the committee and provided them with the Vaughn index and their response was that we don’t think we have these,’ Bossie said. The emails appear to be responsive to the Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)-led Benghazi Committee’s subpoena, the committee thought.” [Breitbart, 9/23/15]

Leak #10: Trey Gowdy committee selectively leaked information about emails sent to Hillary Clinton by Sidney Blumenthal. “Two weeks ago, the Committee received a new batch of over 1,500 emails from Secretary Clinton, including over 500 pages of emails, or roughly one-third of the production, to and from Sidney Blumenthal. […] In a six day span in February 2011, Blumenthal sent Clinton detailed reports titled ‘Latest Libya intel,’ ‘Libya intel,’ ‘No fly zone over Libya,’ ‘Intel on Gaddafi’s reinforcements,’ ‘Libya WMD,’ Qaddafi’s Scuds and strategy for holding on,’ ‘Option on WMD,’ ‘Phone #s that may work,’ and ‘Q location, new defections, beginnings of interim govt.’ These daily emails, filled with unvetted intelligence, continued for nearly six weeks. […] Dozens of emails between Clinton and Blumenthal show an individual who tried to heavily influence the Secretary of State to intervene in Libya.” [Trey Gowdy letter to Elijah Cummings, 10/7/15]

  • Trey Gowdy released “selective and misleading information about emails sent to Hillary Clinton” from Sidney Blumenthal. “Asked for comment, Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon emailed: ‘Trey Gowdy continues to release selective and misleading information about emails sent to Hillary Clinton, even as he refuses to make public any of the transcripts from the closed-door witness interviews that actually relate to Benghazi. This letter is one more example of the partisan approach taken throughout his thoroughly discredited investigation.’” [Yahoo, 10/8/15]
  • Rep. Cummings: Trey Gowdy’s “proposal to selectively release yet another subset of emails reveals his obsession with Secretary Clinton and no new information about the Benghazi attacks.” “Cummings immediately shot back that Gowdy’s letter only proves the Democrats’ point. The letter ‘is a defensive and desperate attempt to save face, but it only proves that McCarthy’s statement is true — [Gowdy’s] new proposal to selectively release yet another subset of emails reveals his obsession with Secretary Clinton and no new information about the Benghazi attacks,’ Cummings said in a statement.” [Yahoo, 10/8/15]

Leak #11: Trey Gowdy committee selectively leaked “information about the termination of Bradley Podliska in an effort to deflect fallout from an interview he gave on CNN.” “The committee released the information about the termination of Bradley Podliska in an effort to deflect fallout from an interview he gave to CNN in which he joined a chorus of critics who say the Benghazi investigation has become a partisan witch-hunt against Clinton. Podliska said he was fired for taking military leave and because he disagreed with repurposing the investigation to narrowly focus on the State Department — an accusation the committee denies.” [Politico, 10/13/15]

  • Podliska’s attorneys issued a cease-and-desist letter to Trey Gowdy demanding he stop releasing information about confidential settlement discussions. “They say they are issuing a formal cease-and-desist letter to Gowdy, demanding he stop making statements or releasing information that may violate confidentiality rules for disputes with former congressional staff. They cite a federal law stating that counseling for employee disputes must remain ‘strictly confidential.’ The letter, first obtained by MSNBC, charges that Gowdy has been ‘describing private settlement discussions between the parties that must be treated as confidential under the Congressional Accountability Act, and surely Chairman Gowdy, as a lawyer, knows that he is not permitted to publicly disclose private settlement discussions.’” [MSNBC, 10/12/15]

Leak #12: Trey Gowdy made public a letter in which he falsely accused Hillary Clinton of exposing the name of a CIA source, and in which his staff made redactions purporting to show how sensitive the information was. “So why did Isikoff – and other credulous journalists – consider that March 18, 2011 email so damaging to Clinton and Blumenthal? Evidently because Gowdy or his staff had redacted the name of the former Libyan official themselves — while adding the usual CIA phrase ‘redacted due to sources and methods’ for dramatic emphasis. As released, the document seemed to show that the agency had blacked out the man’s name to protect a source. That was an intentional deception, reminiscent of the dirty trick that got David Bossie fired from the staff of the House Oversight Committee… Wrote Cummings: “To further inflate your claim, you placed your own redactions over the name of the individual with the words, ‘redacted due to sources and methods.’  To be clear, these redactions were not made, and these words were not added, by any agency of the federal government responsible for enforcing classification guidelines.’… When his committee released the full email to the press, Gowdy’s own staffers failed to redact Koussa’s name from the subject line – so it was Gowdy, not Blumenthal or Clinton, who released that “most protected information” to the press and public.” [National Memo, 10/19/16]

  • Trey Gowdy released false information accusing Clinton of sending an email containing a classified CIA source, “and his staff then accidentally leaks the name of that individual.” “(6) October 18, 2015: Gowdy accuses Clinton of sending an email containing the name of a classified CIA source, and his staff then accidentally leaks the name of that individual. The CIA quickly debunks Gowdy’s allegation.” [“Cummings Issues Statement on Two-Year Anniversary of Benghazi Select Committee,” 5/8/16]

Leak #13: Trey Gowdy leaked information about documents obtained from the State Department to Politico insinuating that the State Department withheld the documents until after certain interviews. “Many late-to-arrive State documents, Gowdy says, included information they wanted to ask Clinton staffers about. One was a December 2012 email between Mills and Kennedy discussing state’s internal investigation and several staffers deemed “deficient.” Another included a September 2011 Libya policy memo advocating for a reduction in the U.S. presence in Libya, in part authored by Jake Sullivan. ‘You’re deprived of the ability to ask something that’s important to us,’ Gowdy said, noting that he would have asked Sullivan about the memo. A State official said those documents were outside of a narrow range of dates the panel asked them to prioritize and argued they ‘do not change the essential facts or our understanding of the events before, during, or after the attacks.’” [Politico, 5/6/16]

  • Rep. Cummings: Trey Gowdy “unilaterally leaked information about two documents without providing their full and proper context” including the fact that one contained no information seemingly relevant to the committee. “Most recently, you unilaterally leaked information about two documents without providing their full and proper context…You failed to mention that the “Libya policy memo” you referred to did not discuss drawing down the U.S. presence in Libya, staffing, or even Benghazi. You also failed to mention that the email chain with Ms. Mills and Patrick Kennedy discussed a staffing proposal that was in fact rejected.” [Rep. Cummings letter to Trey Gowdy,5/31/16]

Sidney Blumenthal Deposition

Fewer than 20: Number of questions, out of more than 550, posed by Republican committee members to Sidney Blumenthal during his 9 hour deposition, that were about the Benghazi attacks. [Blumenthal Deposition Transcript Ready for Release, 6/19/15]

96.5 Percent: Approximate percentage of questions posed by Republican committee members to Sidney Blumenthal during his 9 hour deposition that had to do with something other than the Benghazi attacks. [Blumenthal Deposition Transcript Ready for Release, 6/19/15]

0: Number of questions Trey Gowdy admitted he “expected Witness Blumenthal to be able to answer…about the attacks in Benghazi, Libya.” [Trey Gowdy letter to Rep. Cummings, 6/22/15]

By the Numbers: Hillary Clinton’s Email

Hillary Clinton Turned Over Emails While Others Did Not

Hillary Clinton

55,000: Number of pages of Hillary Clinton’s work-related emails preserved and delivered to the State Department. [Hillary Clinton Declaration, 8/8/15]

  • 25 Percent: Approximate percentage of Hillary Clinton’s emails that have been produced by the State Department. [Justice Department Filing, Case 1:15-mc-01188, 9/2/15]

1: Number of sworn legal declarations made by Hillary Clinton confirming that any and all potential federal records on her server were given to the State Department. [Hillary Clinton Declaration, 8/8/15]

1,246: The number of emails handed over by HRC that the State Department has said were not Federal Records. [Hillary Clinton Attorney Letter to Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, 8/12/15]

Colin Powell

0: Number of emails preserved and turned over to the State Department from the private email account of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell said recently, “They were all unclassified and most of them, I think, are pretty benign, so I’m not terribly concerned even if they were able to recover them.” [Politico, 3/8/15]

Other Former Secretaries

0: Number of emails turned over to the State Department by the three Secretaries of State to serve prior to Hillary Clinton. [State Department Daily Press Briefing, 3/3/15]

Hillary Clinton’s Email was Secure, Government was Routinely Hacked

Hillary Clinton’s Email Was Not Breached

0: Pieces of evidence that show Hillary Clinton’s email was hacked. [State Department press briefing, 3/3/15]

U.S. Government Agencies Experienced Numerous Hacks

250,000: Number of classified State Department cables stolen by Chelsea Manning and uploaded to WikiLeaks. [The Guardian, 11/28/10]

  • 0: Number of clintonemail.com messages included in the WikiLeaks dump. [ZDNet, 3/5/15]

22.1 Million: Number of people inside and outside government who had Social Security numbers and other personal information stolen by suspected Chinese hackers in a breach of the Office of Personnel Management systems. [ABC News, 7/9/15]

1.7 Million: Number of classified documents stolen from National Security Agency computers by Edward Snowden. [New York Times, 2/9/14]

100,000: Number of U.S. households affected by a successful hack on an IRS computer system. [Wall Street Journal, 5/26/15]

70,000: Number of “cybersecurity incidents” on federal government networks in FY 2014. [The Hill, 3/4/15]

Hillary Clinton’s Supposedly Classified Emails

13526: Executive Order that defines “Classified Information.” It reads, “Classified national security information’ or ‘classified information’ means information that has been determined pursuant to this order or any predecessor order to require protection against unauthorized disclosure and is marked to indicate its classified status when in documentary form.”  [Executive Order 13526- Classified National Security Information, Sec. 6.1. (i), 12/29/09]

0: Number of emails sent or received by Hillary Clinton that were marked classified at the time. [Politifact, 7/29/15]

0: Number of emails the State Department said should have been marked as classified when they were sent or received. [CBS News, 8/5/15]

48: Approximate number of State Department officials who sent email that were later redacted prior to the August 31st public email release. [The Washington Post, 9/1/15]

Hillary Clinton Violated a Grand Total of ZERO Laws

0: Number of criminal statutes violated by Hillary Clinton’s email. [Former Federal Prosecuter Anne M. Tomkins opinion, USA Today, 8/31/15]

0: Number of FBI investigations targeting Hillary Clinton. [Washington Post, 8/11/15]

0: Number of criminal inquiries into Hillary Clinton’s email requested by the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community. [State and Intelligence IGs: We Made No Criminal Referral of Clinton, 7/24/15]

New York Times’ Bungled Email Stories

2: Number of official corrections made concerning major allegations laid out in a New York Times story about a security inquiry related to Hillary Clinton’s email account. [New York Times, 7/23/15]

3: Number of New York Times pieces admitting the paper botched a story about Hillary Clinton’s emails. [New York Times, 7/27/15, 7/27/15, 8/1/15]

1: Number of major facts yet to be corrected in the New York Times story (Hint for the New York Times: the inspectors general themselves were clear that it was the Intelligence Community IG that made the routine referral to the Justice Department). [New York Times, 7/23/15; Politico, 7/24/15; [Statement from the Inspectors General of the Intelligence Community and the Department of State Regarding the Review of Former Secretary Clinton’s Emails, 7/24/15]

3: Number of missteps admitted to by the New York Times in handling corrections to the Hillary Clinton email story. [New York Times, 7/27/15, 7/28/15]

Hillary Clinton’s Continued Cooperation with Questions about Her Email

1: Number of servers Hillary Clinton voluntarily provided to aid the Justice Department’s review. [Hillary Clinton Attorney Letter to Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, 8/12/15]

3: Number of thumb drives containing Hillary Clinton’s work related emails voluntarily provided to the Justice Department. [Hillary Clinton Attorney Letter to Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, 8/12/15]

0: Number of emails deleted by Hillary Clinton while facing a subpoena from the Benghazi Select Committee. [Cummings Responds to Subpoena Stunt, 7/8/15]

11: Minimum number of times Hillary Clinton, her representatives, or fellow Benghazi Committee Members notified Trey Gowdy of Hillary Clinton’s willingness to appear before the Select Committee to answer any and all questions. [CTR Internal Analysis]   

Fascinating Revelations in Hillary Clinton’s Emails

0.2: The maximum number of grams per cup of total fat allowed per FDA regulations in the skim milk we now know Hillary Clinton prefers for her tea (h/t Trey Gowdy committee). [The Hill, 9/1/15; National Nutrient Database Basic Report: 01151, accessed 9/1/15]

8:30 pm: Reported Thursday night airtime for the show “Parks and Recreation” as requested by Hillary Clinton (h/t Trey Gowdy committee). [The Hill, 9/1/15; Monica Hanley email to Hillary Clinton, 1/3/10]

1: Number of emails released by the State Department in which Hillary Clinton complains about the ridiculous number of government snow days in Washington, DC (h/t Trey Gowdy committee). [Hillary Clinton email to Cheryl Mills, 2/8/10]

7: Number of emails in a chain between Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin about working the office fax machine (h/t Trey Gowdy committee). [CNN, 7/1/15]

1: Number of times Hillary Clinton told John Podesta to wear socks to bed (h/t Trey Gowdy Committee). [Hillary Clinton email to John Podesta, 9/20/09]

77 Percent: Favorability rating of the coat worn by Hillary Clinton during a 2009 visit to Kabul (h/t Trey Gowdy committee). [Business Insider, 6/30/15]

The Benghazi Committee’s Obsession with Hillary Clinton and her Emails

22 of 41: Number of press releases from Gowdy’s Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya that focus on Hillary Clinton’s email account or server. [CTR Internal Analysis]

88: Percentage of press releases issued since March 4, 2015 by Gowdy’s Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya focused on Hillary Clinton’s email account or server. [CTR Internal Analysis]

11: Number of planned hearings abandoned by Trey Gowdy and the Republicans on the Select Committee while focused on Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton’s email. [Republicans Abandon Plan for Benghazi Hearings to Focus on Clinton, 7/15/15]

Excessive Lawsuits over Hillary Clinton’s Emails

More than 30: Number of FOIA cases involving searches of Hillary Clinton’s emails. [Justice Department Filing, Case 1:15-mc-01188, 9/2/15]

17: Number of different judges presiding over FOIA lawsuits involving Hillary Clinton’s emails. [Justice Department Filing, Case 1:15-mc-01188, 9/2/15]

GOP Email Hypocrisy by the Numbers

Jeb Bush

7.5: Number of years Jeb Bush waited to turn over emails required by Florida public records law. [New York Times, 3/14/15]

300,000: Approximate number of emails missing from Jeb Bush’s email release. [CTR Internal Analysis]

  • 1: Number of “Mostly False” Politifact ratings earned by Jeb Bush after claiming he released all his emails from his time as governor. [Politifact, 8/31/15]

119.021(4)(a): Florida Statute Jeb Bush violated by failing to turn over his complete e-mail record at the end of his term in office. [Florida Statute 119.021(4)(a), accessed 9/2/15]

  • 500: Maximum dollar amount Jeb Bush could be fined by the State of Florida for violating its open records statute. [Florida Statute 119.10(1)(a), accessed 9/2/15]

1st degree: The level of misdemeanor Jeb Bush committed by violating Florida’s open records statute. [Florida Statute 119.10(2)(a), accessed 9/2/15]

  • 1: Maximum number of years Jeb Bush could face for having committed a 1st degree misdemeanor by violating Florida’s open records statute. [Florida Statute 775.082(4)(a), accessed 9/2/15]
  • 1,000: Maximum dollar amount Jeb Bush could be fined by the State of Florida if convicted for having committed a 1st degree misdemeanor by violating Florida’s open records statute. [Florida Statute 775.083(1)(d), accessed 9/2/15]

12,000: Number of social security numbers leaked during Jeb Bush’s release of emails from his private account. [The Guardian, 2/12/15]

1: Number of active private e-mail accounts Jeb Bush operated but of which he claimed to have no knowledge. [Associated Press, 3/25/15]

Scott Walker

1: Number of secret email systems employed by Scott Walker’s staff and hidden from public records. [Journal Sentinel, 1/26/12]

1: Number of criminal investigations into Scott Walker’s office for their use of a private e-mail system. [USA Today, 7/30/15]

2: Number of Scott Walker aides convicted for campaigning on public time using a private e-mail system. [USA Today, 7/30/15]

25 feet: Distance between Scott Walker’s personal office and the private e-mail system of which he claimed to have no knowledge. [Journal-Sentinel, 3/5/15]

Chris Christie

12: Number of text messages between Governor Chris Christie and a staff member that were deleted on one of the Bridgegate scandal’s most explosive days. [WNYC, 12/5/14]

$441,000+: Public funds spent by the Christie administration while fighting open records requests, including those related to Bridgegate e-mails. [Mother Jones, 2/4/15]

Mike Huckabee

91: Number of hard drives destroyed by Mike Huckabee’s staff at the end of his tenure as governor of Arkansas. [Politico, 7/27/07]

Rick Perry

7: Number of days emails were retained before being automatically deleted during Rick Perry’s tenure as governor of Texas. [Daily Beast, 3/13/15]

Bobby Jindal

0: Number of work-related e-mails Bobby Jindal disclosed over two terms in office. [The Advocate, 4/10/15]

Colin Powell

0: Number of emails preserved and turned over to the State Department from the private email account of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. [Politico, 3/8/15]

1: Number of private laptops Colin Powell had installed in his official government office at the State Department. [MSNBC, 8/12/15]

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