House Democrats Release Their Own Preemptive Benghazi Report

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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Frustrated Democrats on the House special committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi, Libya terror attack released separate findings Monday, preempting the long-awaited results expected to be announced by the committee Republicans as early as Tuesday.

Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., say it was necessary to release their own report because the Republicans, led by Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., refused to issue a joint report that would incorporate opinions of the minority group.

The Benghazi Select Committee was established over two years ago even after numerous official investigations had already occurred, paving the way for a highly contentious process that Democrats say is aimed at attacking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and derailing her presidential bid.

The Democrats’ 339-page report makes 21 findings it says “debunks many conspiracy theories about the attacks.” Some of the findings have been shared in previous reports, such as the conclusion that “the State Department’s security measures in Benghazi were woefully inadequate,” as this report puts it, and that the Defense Department could not have done anything differently that night to save lives.

It also seeks to counter an argument often made by Republicans: that the Obama administration lied about the attackers’ motivations, blaming an anti-Muslim video for inspiring a spontaneous attack, rather than concluding it was a coordinated action by terrorist militants.

“Administration officials did not make intentionally misleading statements about the attacks, but instead relied on information they were provided at the time under fast-moving circumstances,” the report reads.

The report quotes March testimony from Gen. David Petraeus, who was the CIA director at the time of the attack.

“I’m still not absolutely certain what absolutely took place, whether it was a mix of people that are demonstrating with attackers in there, whether this is an organized demonstration to launch an attack, whether … there was a protest and it grew out of the protest,” Petraeus told the committee.

Petraeus said the video of the attack also makes it unclear if there were protesters mixed in with attackers.

The Democrats’ report also concludes that the committee found no evidence that Clinton personally denied any security requests from personnel in Benghazi.

The report also includes a 45-page indictment of Republicans’ management of the committee and investigation, and claims the majority wasted time and resources for political purposes, while excluding Democrats from several witness meetings and interviews.

Aides to Gowdy and the majority staff did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Republicans have also leveled criticism at Democrats throughout the process, and have accused them of coordinating with Clinton’s campaign and refusing to help press the administration to fulfill document requests.

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