Clinton to testify in open hearing on deadly Benghazi consulate attack

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear at an open hearing to discuss the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“I have just received confirmation from Secretary Clinton’s office that the Secretary of State will appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss, in an open hearing, the findings and recommendations in the report from the accountability review board (ARB) concerning the terrorist attack against our diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya,” Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement late Friday.

“As we anticipate the release of the ARB report, I look forward to discussing with the Secretary what corrective measures has the Department undertaken to address problems identified in the months following the Benghazi attack, including security of our posts, threat assessments, host government responsibilities, and coordination with other U.S. security agencies.”

The State Department’s report is expected next week. Clinton is expected to testify shortly after its release.

Ros-Lehtinen says the committee continues to review volumes of State Department documents concerning the attack.

In November, the Florida Republican announced Clinton’s commitment to testify before the committee.

The announcement that Clinton would publicly testify for the first time came during the Foreign Affairs panel's first public hearing on the issue.

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