Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Lawmaker looking for answers about State Dept. punishments

Details

  • Description

    Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen weighs in

  • Duration 5:06
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

And out to the growing concern over what some are calling and then got the shuffle.

Reports have surfaced this week that forced State Department officials thought to have been relieved of duty in the wake of the deadly bank got the attack just be switching desks.

Now some in congress including our next guests are asking for answers joining us now is Republican congresswoman Ileana ros Lehtinen chair of the house foreign affairs committee.

Congressman running your thing try to get information out of the State Department on the job situation of those floor employees.

So where they fired reassigned on administrative leave what have you heard.

Well this is such a shameful episode for the State Department they -- bungling everything related to it to Ben Ghazi.

First of the four Americans whose lives were lost even though they repeatedly asked for more security the consulate was overrun.

Up by al-Qaeda.

Operatives.

The administration want -- to -- this a web of lies about.

Always there was outrage over a video that slammed.

The Prophet Mohammed that was bogus and now we have this where the State Department.

Purposely misled the American people saying that for individuals in the State Department high level.

We're going to lose their jobs that the secretary had accepted a resignation and Eric Boswell for example one of the heads of the security.

When one of the truth is that he resigned in.

That position.

But he has his portfolio includes other positions within the State Department he hasn't been punished at all for the security lapses in Ben Ghazi.

And the other three are on administrative leave basically a paid vacation over -- Christmas holiday.

And they'll be back out in another capacity in the State Department not they promised heads would roll.

Nothing has rolled.

That's why we're looking forward to having Secretary Clinton appeared before our committee by mid January because she's got a lot to answer for.

Why is why -- they purposely misleading the public making it look as if employees work.

Punished or are left their jobs when in fact and nothing has happened they just shifted the deck chairs that's it nobody's paid a price.

For the death of those four brave Americans unbelievably shameful.

That independent review board that looked into this whole thing and then.

And issued a report made its recommendations it found that assistant secretary for diplomatic security Eric -- you just mentioned him and the three others.

Especially did a poor job of making sure that US personnel on the ground in Libya we're safe -- secure especially in that Ben -- facility.

That that any sort of left them in a dangerous situation.

So what do you think should happen to those four people at the state.

While the State Department will try to make it sound and I'm sure the Secretary Clinton will try to make that case that if they only had.

Five billion dollars more than we could prevent another Ben -- the truth is that these they are being report points out that there systematic failures.

With with the end up the entire structure of the State Department.

They need an inspector general to make sure that people are doing the jobs are supposed to be doing and it's not a matter of funding actually the State Department has enough funds.

They have misplaced priorities they want to fund global climate change programs.

Culinary -- ambassadorships.

All of these bogus areas that have nothing to do with diplomatic security.

So I think that the State Department has to be honest with us about what they're going to do with these four employees but it's not a matter of these four individuals.

It's systemic management flaws within the State Department that must be addressed and that's what we want Secretary Clinton.

To answer to that I.

Why not just for congresswoman I wonder if this at the State Department -- -- is this is one of these sort of Washington things that if he led -- -- -- and goes away and -- their people like you talking about it is that the calculation do you think absolutely.

I absolutely agree.

-- not only do I think that they want this to blow over just like they wanted to and -- to blow over and thank you for always.

Keeping that that light shining on them for brave Americans -- woods Doherty.

We need to -- couldn't Smith we need to talk about them all the time but they also might be buying their silence that's what I wanna know.

What are they afraid that these individuals were they to be punished that they might retaliate by by telling the truth about what's happened with all of those.

-- asking of for more security and all of the intelligence reports that were ignored all right we're -- grabbing dangerousness of the consulate.

-- just wrapping up -- -- real quick before we have to let you go do you think your best prediction here for 2013.

Will you hear what we hear from Secretary Clinton under oath.

About and -- She must I believe that she will answer.

I she's a very Smart individual she will answer the questions but we want to know when this is going to stop the lying.

And the purposely misleading up to the American people.

American people want and demand the truth and she's got to give it to us all right congresswoman Elliot Ross -- and thank you for joining us today thank you.

-- -- --

Load More