Defense Department’s Benghazi Letter Reeks Of Democratic Coordination
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/meet-the-well-paid-pros-behind-the-benghazi-panel-215023
The Defense Department official who last week sent a pointed letter hammering the Benghazi Committee’s investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks, has deep connections to Democrats, as does the agency’s new liaison to the committee.
The direct tone of the letter, as well as the fact that it was leaked and publicized by committee Democrats, raises questions over whether the document was crafted in order to stymie the committee’s investigation.
But Hedger’s past political work and that the Defense Department’s liaison to the committee, a former White House lawyer named Beth George, raises questions over whether the agency coordinated with Benghazi Democrats.
George’s supervisor at the Department of Justice was Daniel Grooms, who served as senior counselor in the national security division from April 2013 to February 2014. Grooms’ wife, Susanne Sachsman Grooms, has served as staff director for the Benghazi Democrats since July 2014.
According to a Politico profile of Benghazi staffers last year, Grooms has worked for Cummings since 2011 and served as counsel on several high-profile investigations, including the Fast and Furious gun running scandal and the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.
She also worked for Cummings when California Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, led the House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the terrorist attacks, which left four Americans dead.
Susanne Sachsman Grooms — Democratic staff director and general counsel
Sachsman Grooms, a former IRS and Justice Department lawyer, is well-versed in political investigations, having worked since 2011 for Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on the House Oversight Committee, which investigates the executive branch and is often embroiled in partisan battles as a result. Cummings is also the ranking member on the Benghazi panel.
Over the past few years she worked as a lead attorney for the Democrats on multiple contentious GOP investigations including the “Fast and Furious” gun-walking operation and the IRS probe of tea party groups. On each of those, Democrats and Republicans butted heads, with the GOP accusing the administration of foul play and Democrats calling the investigations a partisan circus.
She’s also worked Benghazi issues before when former Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was running his own highly-charged probe of the terrorist attacks.