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Washington • A House committee chairman issued two subpoenas Thursday to the State Department for documents related to the deadly assault last year on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he wanted all documents the department gave to an independent review board headed by former diplomat Thomas Pickering and retired Adm. Mike Mullen. Issa, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, also asked for all documents and communications related to interviews conducted by the board.
U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the September attack. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of misleading Americans about the terrorist incident, and the House GOP has pursued its own investigation.
The State Department said it has worked to meet Issa's requests, but questioned the validity of his demand for more paperwork.
"For seven months, we've offered and provided access to specific documents at his request," spokesman Alec Gerlach said. "I'm scratching my head trying to ascertain what practical value yet another Issa subpoena has in protecting our diplomats."